Kanda's Angel
by MandM7
Summary: Robin is a new exorcist at the Black Order. Forced to hide her true gender, she finds herself rooming with the ever-cheerful Kanda. Will she be able to keep her secret hidden, or will Kanda get to her first? OCxKanda, (Second)OCxLavi
1. Chapter 1

She bends down and reaches for the suitcase she had set at her feet. It was a long and grueling trip but somehow she made it in one piece. She raises a hand and brushes a strand of brown hair away from her eyes. The towering complex of the Black Order looms over her short, lean frame. A sudden wind gusts, whipping up the rest of her short, boy-cut hair. Her suit, which she suspects is too large, threatens to blow away and she struggles to tame the wild clothing. Below her a swarm of bats swoop out of the dark caverns hidden within the cliff-face and she falls back in surprised.

Damn this place, she thought. It gave off a foreboding aura that warned outsiders, ignorant of the organization's true purpose, to stay away. That, and it gave her the creeps.

"Identify yourself!" A voice bellows. She looks up and a large stone face stares wide-eyed, protruding from the wall so that his eyes were about an inch away from hers.

"Why hello there." She says.

"Who are you?!" The gatekeeper yells, eyeballs in danger of popping out of its skull.

"My name is Robin." She says taking a step back. "I believe a letter should have arrived about me?"

"Komui?" The gatekeeper asks to no one in particular. There's a second of silence, then a voice over a radio.

"Nope." The voice says. Another second of silence then: "Kanda, will you be so kind as to handle this?"

"Che." A low voice grumbles overhead. Robin looks up and a tall, pissed off samurai pauses and meets her gaze. The way the moonlight landed on him, hitting him at just the right angle, made his long ponytail of hair glimmer and reveal its many different hues of blue. Robin watches as he unsheathes a katana and holds it at his side, the edge reflecting the light. The light twists and disappears. Kanda leaps into the air, with the full silhouette of the moon at his back. A second later the samurai is front of her with the blade nestled against her throat.

"I think this is a misunderstanding." Robin says, shying away from the sword's precarious edge.

"Like I care." Kanda grumbles. She sighs.

"I'm sorry for this." She says. She suddenly ducks, barely escaping the sword's path, and lands an elbow to his side. He takes a step back, taken off guard by the force of the strike. Robin trips his feet and shoves him onto the ground; one arm keeping him from cleaving the sword into her skull, the other holding his struggling form down.

"Let me start again." She says through a friendly smile. "My name is Robin. I'm an exorcist."

"Exorcist?!" He yells. "Komui!? What the hell?!"

"Kanda! Stand down!" The radio's voice repeats. "I repeat, stand down!"

A gate suddenly opens and a man with bright red hair and a huge grin plastered on his face runs over to them. Across his forehead is a green bandana with an eye patch covering one eye. He smiles and offers Robin a hand.

"Wow!" He says. "Who knew Yuu could be beaten so badly?"

"Shut up baka usagi!" Kanda growls.

"Sorry. Um, Yuu was it?" She asks, getting off of him.

"Kanda!" He growls, giving her and the red-head a death glare. The red-head bursts out laughing.

"I think the two of us will be good friends!" He says wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "By the way, Komui finally found that letter of yours. The stack of papers on his desk is _huge. _You wouldn't believe it."

"My name's Robin." She says.

"Lavi." The red-head says. "So Rob, let me show you around the Order."

"Okay." She smiles sweetly. Her stomach suddenly lets out a loud, feral growl and she blushes.

"I guess we'll start the tour with a visit to the cafeteria." Lavi says chuckling.

"Sorry," She says. "I'm a parasite-type."

"Great. Another one." Kanda says. He sheathes Mugen and heads inside muttering to himself.

"What's his problem?" She asks.

"Don't take it personally." Lavi says. "Yuu's just a sore loser. By the way..."

"Yeah?" She says following Lavi inside.

"It's kinda strange, but I could swear you could pass as a girl." Lavi says.

Robin smiles and laughs uneasy.

"Um." She says. "I'm a guy."

"Yeah," He says. "But you're so tiny! You're even shorter than Moyashi!"

"Moyashi?" She asks.

"Yeah!" Lavi says smiling. "I'll have to introduce you two!"

"Yeah." She says.

Lavi leads her deeper into the complex. They travel down hallway after hallway pass dozens of doors that Lavi says belong to other exorcists. She wasn't sure when, but at some point she began to block out the sound of his bantering. She had much more pressing matters. Like keeping her secret a secret.

She couldn't remember exactly when she began to masquerade as a boy. She grew up on the streets. It was the kind of city where you didn't want to be a young girl alone on the side of the road. She hid her gender for survival. Even General Cross didn't complain about her pretending to be a boy, which was strange since he complained about everything. The last month with him was hell. She couldn't imagine what kind of torture it would have been if she had stayed longer. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Master Cross to acknowledge her talent with eliminating akuma and send her to the Black Order.

She never thought of herself as a girl, and in truth, being a boy is much easier. She could do whatever she wanted without having to worry about worthless things like appearances and without being treated differently because she's a girl. One of the reason she chose to continue her path as an exorcist was so that she become strong and protect herself and others around her. So long as no one finds out her secret that is. It's easy since she has a relatively flat chest and straight hips. She could only guess what the Order would do to her if they found out she's lying. Best case scenario: they kick her out and she'll have nowhere to go. She'll have to live on the streets again and try to survive like she's been for years. Something she wasn't keen on returning to.

Suddenly Lavi stops in front of her and turns around with a smile.

"Right Rob?" He asks mid-sentence.

"Um...yes...?" She asks.

"I said you must be hungry." Lavi says, his grin becoming wider. "And we've finally made it to the cafeteria."

She peeks around him and sees a large spacious room filled with tables. Sitting at the tables are people, mostly men, wearing long brown coats.

"Those are finders." Lavi explains. "They assist exorcists during missions."

Robin nods.

"Thanks Jerry!" A sweet voice calls from one of the tables. A white-haired boy places a dish of food with another twenty plates and smiles.

"Moyashi!" Lavi calls, running over.

His face visually darkens from the use of his accursed nickname. He turns to face the rabbit and Robin sees the long red scar across his left eye. The boy looks like he wants to strangle Lavi, but then he sees Robin behind him.

"Hello." He says greeting her.

"This is Robin, a new exorcist." Lavi says. "He just arrived."

"Nice to meet you Robin." The boy says holding out a hand for her. "My name is Allen."

"Nice to meet you." Robin says taking his hand. Up close she could see that Allen was in fact taller than her, though not by much. His pale gray eyes brighten and the ends of his mouth tug into a sweet smile. Robin blushes, unable to stop herself. It was just too darn cute.

Suddenly a deep moaning growl rips through the cafeteria. Both Allen and Robin groan. Lavi erupts into fits of laughter.

"That was perfect you two!" He says, literary rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Food." Robin groans. She hadn't eaten anything since her lunch and that had been so long ago. Allen glances at her and recognizes the expression.

"Jerry!" Allen calls. "Can you get us another order please?"

"Right away honey!" The pink-haired chef answers.

Five minutes later her and Allen are seated and stuffing their faces with Jerry's delicious cooking. When they were done and the two stacks of plates next to them looked ready to tumble over, Allen smiles. Robin couldn't help but smile back. The good food and satisfaction of a full stomach left her feeling giddy. Allen and even Lavi were nothing but nice. If the rest of the Order was like them then maybe she might be able to fit in.

Maybe the Black Order wouldn't be such a bad place after all.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Robin was ready to continue Lavi's magical tour of the Black Order, all eyes in the cafeteria turn toward the entrance. Robin follows their gaze and sees a beautiful girl with dark green pigtails and violet eyes. Now she knew why all the guys were staring. She was cute. Even Robin couldn't resist blushing slightly when the girl looked over at her and smiled.

"Lenalee." Allen says waving the girl over.

"Hello Allen." Lenalee says. "Hey Lavi. And..." She glances at Robin.

"Robin." She answers, trying her best not to sound like an idiot.

"Nice to meet you." Lenalee says. "You must be the new exorcist. Komui wanted me to get you for him. He's my brother and the head of the Order."

"Okay." She says.

"Just follow me." Lenalee says with a smile. With nothing else to do, Robin follows. They walk down yet another set of halls till Lenalee stops at an elevator. They both get on and Lenalee pulls some kind of lever. The elevator suddenly drops and Robin squeaks as the floor beneath them plummets into the depths of the Order.

"Sorry." Lenalee says smiling weakly.

"Nah, it's cool." Robin says taking hold of the railing to steady herself. "I'm usually great with heights. I just wasn't expecting the drop to be so sudden." Lenalee nods and the rest of the ride is in silence.

When the elevator finally comes to a stop, the two of them step off. Surrounding them was darkness, the only light coming from a large platform ahead of them. With an encouraging nod from Lenalee, Robin steps up into its center.

"Hello Robin." A purple-haired man in a scientist's uniform and barre turns to greet her. "I'm Komui, head of the Order. I received a letter from General Cross about your arrival. I hope you'll forgive the misunderstanding earlier."

"Oh," She says. "You mean with that samurai fellow?"

"Kanda is naturally hot-headed." Komui says. "He slices first and asks questions later. It's quite worrisome."

"It's okay." Robin says. "Nothing I couldn't handle." Komui smiles.

"Well, Hevlaska?" Komui asks.

"Huh?" Robin asks. Suddenly pale white arms wrap themselves around her and carry her into an embrace. Robin struggles against them, not at all enjoying the sudden contact. A voice begins murmuring numbers. After about a minute the arms set her back down on the platform and Robin quickly shy's away from the edge.

"So?" Komui asks.

"96%" Hevlaska answers. "He has a 96% synchronization rate with his innocence."

"Impressive." Komui says, nodding with satisfaction. "You're a parasite-type correct Robin?"

"Yeah." She answers. Komui's glasses glint and his mouth curls into a devious grin.

"I see." Komui answers and laughs.

"Brother!" Lenalee yells.

"Oh Lenalee!" Komui says cheerfully. "Would you show Robin his room? I apologize in advance. There seems to be a shortage of usable rooms lately so you'll have to share with another exorcist."

"What?!" Robin asks. How was that going to work?! How was she going to keep her gender secret if she has to live with someone?!

"The science division's last experiment nearly destroyed the whole Order." Lenalee explains. "Several rooms got destroyed, including Kanda's and all the ones given to new exorcists."

"Kanda?!" She yells, her panic skyrocketing. "I'm rooming with that pissed of samurai?!"

"I'm sure it'll work out." Komui says, ignoring her look of horror. Lenalee leads her back up the elevator, all the while Robin's mood becomes darker and darker.

"Don't worry." Lenalee says. "Kanda can be hard to work with, but he's a relatively good guy." Robin sighs. She wasn't worried about fighting. She knew she could handle anything that guy could throw at her, and then some. No, what was making her panic was completely different.

Lenalee stops and opens a door to one of the rooms. Inside a Kanda fresh out of the shower looks up. All he wears is a pair of long, black jeans that hug his hips and his long blue locks of hair fall free all the way down to his back. Robin wasn't afraid of his temper. No, the lump forming in her throat and knot twisting through her insides was caused by nothing more than the one undeniable fact that Yuu Kanda was freaking gorgeous.

"Do you mind knocking?" Kanda asks, the irritation in his voice evident.

"Sorry." Lenalee says. "I'm just showing Robin here his room." Kanda glares at Robin, who both involuntary flinches and blushes.

"Che." He says and turns away muttering something about Komui. Away from his gaze, Robin exhales a sigh and sets her suitcase on one of the beds. It was a fairly spacious room. There were two beds at either wall with two dressers, a bathroom off to one side of the room and what she believes to be a balcony leading outside.

"Well, I'll leave you to unpack." Lenalee says. "Just call if you need anything."

"Thank you." Robin says. Lenalee nods and leaves, closing the door behind her. Now it was just her and Kanda. Said samurai returns to his own unpacking. As he digs through a large bag on his bed, she finds her eyes staring at the long rugged muscles along his chest and arms. She could just make out the shape of a tattoo across his chest. A pair of eyes bore into hers and she jumps, her face turning beet red.

"What are you looking at?" He asks.

Kanda felt his irritation rising by the second. Damn that Komui. First him and his stupid robot destroys his room and then he rooms him with the new exorcist. He was a pipsqueak. He couldn't even believe they'd let a weakling like him join the Order. Worst yet, the little weakling was able to stop him! What the hell?! Kanda snaps his attention to the new exorcist's stare and Kanda watches him jump. Kanda can't help focusing on the boy's warm, caramel colored eyes. They draw him in and Kanda swears he sees them glisten. Creepy.

"Stop staring at me Doe-Eyes." Kanda growls.

"Doe-Eyes?" Robin repeats. "My name is Robin."

"Like I care." Kanda says, turning to put his clothes in his dresser.

"Well, since we're sharing a room you should at least remember it." She says.

"I have no reason to remember a weakling's name."

"Funny." Robin says. "I could swear I was the one who beat your ass earlier."

Kanda twitches. Robin couldn't see his expression from where she sat on her bed, but from the tone of his voice he's obviously pissed.

"That was a fluke!" Kanda yells. "I could easily beat a little girl like you!"

Robin freezes. Girl?! Does that mean he knows? Without thinking, Robin quickly gets up and heads into the room's bathroom, trying her hardest to look calm.

"Excuse me." She says and locks the door behind her.

Kanda raises an eyebrow as Robin scurries into the bathroom. That was strange. He couldn't help calling the boy a girl. He just had a girlish vibe about him, plus he had a relatively high-pitched voice. It wasn't the best insult, but he didn't see why he'd freak out so much.

Robin paces around the bathroom. He knew! He knew she was a girl! She thought she was being careful. She hadn't said anything, did she? Maybe her wrap wasn't tight enough? She pulls off the suit's shirt and jacket and checks the wrap around her chest. Her breasts weren't that big so she couldn't imagine Kanda or anyone noticing them. Still she tightens the wrap around her and feels a twinge of pain suck the air out of her lungs.

"Hey." A voice calls knocking at the bathroom door. Robin jumps. Kanda.

"Give me a second!" She yells, grabbing for her shirt.

"You alright?" He asks. She pulls the shirt around her and hurries to button it up. "Hey?"

Robin pulls open the door and reaches Kanda's gaze.

"Geez," She says, rolling her eyes. "Can't a guy pee in peace?"

Kanda scoffs and closes the bathroom door behind him.

"Calm down Robin." She tells herself. She forces herself to take a deep breath. She's probably overreacting. She opens up her suitcase and starts putting clothes into the second dresser. Lucky Kanda was out of sight. She'd die if he saw her unpacking her frilly pink pair of underwear that she knew Cross snuck in. The pedophile made sure she brought them despite her many complaints and creative insults. She'll have to sneak out and burn them later.

Robin sets her shampoo and soap aside on the dresser. She'd probably shower in the morning. That is, if she could get over the thought of showering with Kanda in the next room. Right on cue the door to the bathroom opens and Kanda strolls out. Robin forces herself to focus on the suitcase in front of her. She stops when she reaches a hardcover case at the bottom. A faint smile spreads across her lips. Kanda, noticing the smile looks over with curiosity.

"What's that?" He asks. Robin unlatches the case and reveals a violin.

"Do you mind?" She asks him, cradling the instrument in her hands.

"Knock yourself out." He replies, landing on his bed with a book in his hands.

Robin runs the bow across the strings and a note reverberates in the room. She closes her eyes and allows her fingers to play on their own. It was a happy song, one she learned years ago when she had first received the violin. Kanda stares at her as she plays the light, cheerful melody with a smile across her face. It's a beautiful song and she plays the instrument well, the smile showing just how much she loves playing.

As the song slowly ends, Robin blinks open her eyes to see Kanda staring at her. He suddenly looks down at the book in his hands.

"Not bad." He murmurs.

"Was that a compliment?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up Doe-Eyes." He says and pulls a blanket over his head, putting aside his book. "And shut off the lights will you?"

"Why can't you just call me Robin?" She asks replacing her violin in its case and flicking off the light switch.

"Che." He replies.

Robin sighs and places the suitcase and violin case under the bed. She curls up in her bed, snuggling the blankets against her. The wrap around her chest throbs but she doesn't dare loosen it. She squeezes her eyes shut and blocks out the pain. Slowly her body takes the hint and she drifts off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A warm sensation reaches out to her and almost subconsciously she latches onto it, bringing the comforting feeling closer. She smiles and buries her face into the warmth, allowing it to envelope her.

"Let me go!" A voice yells. Strong hands force hers over her head painfully and she forces her eyes open, mad that her happy feeling was being interrupted so rudely. She squints and looks up into the angry eyes of Yuu Kanda. He leans over her pinning her arms above her head. His long, soft hair was free and fell down onto her face. She could feel the weight of his body on hers and her whole face turns a bright shade of crimson.

"W-what the hell?!" She yells. Kanda growls and peels himself off of her. "W-wait!" She yells. "We didn't...I mean we weren't-"

"NO!" He yells, his own face a touch red. "I tried to wake you up and you grabbed hold of me! Freak!"

"So sorry!" She yells.

"Just hurry up!" Kanda yells, pulling his hair up into his signature ponytail. "Komui wants to see us in his office after breakfast."

"Right." She says. She reaches around Kanda in a frenzy and grabs her soap and outfit out of her dresser and rushes into the bathroom, making absolute sure to lock the door behind her.

Robin turns on the water and begins to strip. Once she loosens her wrap she releases a breath of relief. With the pressure gone, she hops into the shower and quickly washes up. Once she was clean and dry, she replaces the wrap and pulls on her clothes. She picked out a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. When she leaves the bathroom she notices that Kanda had already left (Thank God) and goes to put on her shoes. Finally ready, she leaves the room and hurries to the cafeteria.

As she enters the room, a certain red-head spots her and motions her to join the group of exorcists. At the table she spots Lenalee sitting cheerfully next to Lavi and Allen scarfing down a plate of food. Seeing him Robin's stomach rumbles and she's reminded its breakfast time. The only open seat she notices sat directly next to Kanda, who was still fuming over his soba from their previous encounter. Robin sighs and takes the seat, causing Kanda to growl in annoyance.

"So how was your guys' night together?" Lavi asks with a huge, all-knowing grin.

"Shut up." Kanda says.

"You have my sympathy." Allen says to Robin. "That idiot can be a real headache."

"Shut up Moyashi." Kanda growls, casting a warning glance in the other exorcist's direction.

"My name is Allen, Bakanda!" He yells back.

"Hey calm down guys." Lenalee says.

"Yuu and Robin sitting in a tree," Lavi sings. "K-I-S-"

Kanda reaches for Mugen at his side. Seeing the movement, Robin grabs hold of his wrist to get him to stop. Kanda shoots a death glare at her.

"Let go if you want to live Doe-Eyes." He threatens.

"Doe-Eyes?" Lenalee asks.

"Calm down." Robin says glaring back at the samurai.

"Yeesh, Yuu." Lavi says. "Temper, temper."

"Shut up baka usagi!" Kanda yells.

"You're only proving him right." Robin says. "Honestly, would it kill you to lighten up?"

Kanda glares at her and Robin forces herself to hold his gaze. Amazingly his grip relaxes and he looks away. "Che." He says, returning his attention back to his breakfast.

"Wow." Allen says. "I didn't think that would ever happen."

"Congrats Robin!" Lavi says. "You've trained yourself a Kanda!"

"Please shut up." She says.

"Yeah Lavi," Lenalee says. "Who knows how long this peace will last."

Lavi pouts and resumes eating. Allen looks over at her and sneaks a smile. Ten minutes later she was just about done with her last plate of food when Kanda gets up and walks down the hallway.

"Oh wait!" She calls. She gulps down the last bit of breakfast and runs after him.

They both enter Komui's office and take a seat in front of his desk half-buried by stacks of papers. Komui pulls down a world map and hands each of them a mission outline.

"As you've no doubt guessed I have a mission for the two of you." Komui says. "We've received reports of akuma terrorizing citizens in the town of Bellamy, France. You are to travel to the town and get rid of them. Chances are there is also traces of innocence. You are to leave immediately."

"Okay." Robin says.

"This is your first mission Robin." Komui says. "Make sure to show him the ropes Kanda." Kanda gets up and stalks out of the room.

"Good luck." Komui says cheerfully.

"Thanks." She says and hurries to follow Kanda.

"Oh Robin?" Komui calls. She stops and turns back to him, who throws a mass of fabric to her. She unfolds it and holds it against herself. It was made of strong navy blue fabric and decorated with shining silver buttons. On the front was the Black Order's emblem that she had so often seen.

"That's an exorcist uniform." Komui says. "I hope it's the right size."

Robin smiles huge, excited to finally have her own uniform. This was it, she thought. She was finally a true exorcist with the Black Order.

"Thank you Komui." She says bubbling over with happiness.

"Have fun." He says and Robin skips out of his office.

It didn't take long for her and Kanda to be out of the Order and on a train making its way to France. They sat in first class surrounded by wealth and luxury. Robin couldn't help but fidget with excitement the whole ride. Kanda sat on the other side of the compartment staring out the window. Neither spoke, but that didn't bother Robin.

Once the train reached a halt, the two of them got off and headed into town. Bellamy was a bustling city filled with people. Shops and restaurants dotted the street with groups of people talking and laughing on their merry way.

"What a nice town." She says.

"Focus on our mission." Kanda says. Robin sighs.

"It wouldn't kill you to smile every once in a while." She says. Kanda glares at her.

"Hey misters!" A little boy calls from the street corner. He carries over a basket of delicious-looking fruit. "I'm selling apples! Would you like some?"

"I'll take a couple." Robin says with a smile. She hands the boy some money and grabs three big red apples.

"What about you?" The boy asks Kanda.

"Sell to someone else pipsqueak." He says. The boy glares at him, then slowly his expression softens into a sweet smile.

"Fine." The boy says walking around Kanda. He hands Robin another apple. "Since you seem to really like them." He says.

"Thank you." Robin says and smiles at the boy. The boy smiles back and runs off.

"Brat." Kanda growls once the boy is gone.

"Check your pockets." Robin says. Kanda gives her an odd look and carefully fishes through his pockets. Realizing what he was missing, he looks over in the boy's direction with a look of fury.

"That obnoxious brat!" Kanda yells, ready to run after him.

"Yeah, yeah." Robin says. She sticks a hand into her own pocket and to Kanda's amazement pulls out a wallet.

"You-"

"Really Kanda." She says, handing it back to him. "It's the oldest trick in the book."

"How did you do that?" He asks.

"I grew up on the streets." She says. "When stealing is the only way to survive you learn how to avoid getting caught. I've actually gotten quite good at it. By the way, your welcome."

"Shut up." Kanda says.

"You're not very good with people, are you?" She says, following him as he walks down the street.

"I don't need anyone else." He says. "I can take care of myself."

"But it must get lonely." Robin says.

"Why would you even care?" He asks.

"Well," She says. "I've never had anyone else before. Not before General Cross, and he isn't the friendliest of creatures. I was always alone. I had no one who cared for me or looked out for me. But it's different now. I'm part of the Order and there are people counting on us. All I really care about is accomplishing our mission. And to be perfectly honest, we're stronger if we work together."

He's quiet.

"Kanda?" She asks.

"Fine." Kanda says back turned to her. "Just don't expect me to like it."

Robin feels herself smile. Suddenly there's a loud scream.

"Akuma." Kanda says, unsheathing Mugen.

They run ahead to a park at the center of the town. A dozen huge hulking shapes surround a group of civilians with the barrels of their guns pointed straight at them. Without another word Kanda leaps and begins slicing the level one akuma to pieces. Robin runs to the civilians. She closes her eyes and concentrates. Her innocence activates and two silver wings extend out of her back and shield the bystanders from the rain of bullets. A break in the shooting allows her to suddenly fly up. She arches her back and digs either wing into the akuma, ripping them to shreds.

When all the akuma were destroyed, she and Kanda look over at each other.

"We did it!" She says cheerfully. She smiles from ear to ear.

"Yup." Kanda says. Even he couldn't help a smirk.

"Wow!" A boy says, hidden in the bushes. He comes out of his hiding place and runs over to the two of them. "You misters killed those monsters!"

"Hey, were you the boy selling apples?" Robin asks. The boy nods. Kanda glares at him and he runs to hide behind Robin.

"Help me!" He yells. She smiles.

Suddenly there a noise from behind her. She spins around just in time to see an akuma they must have missed with its gun aimed right on her. Robin shoves the boy away and braces herself, when Kanda suddenly runs in front of her and shields her. The bullet flies and strikes him in the stomach and he topples to the ground. Robin activates her innocence and slices apart the akuma, it's body exploding like all the rest.

"Kanda!" She yells.

"I'm okay." He says. "The virus doesn't affect me."

"Yeah but you're still bleeding idiot!" She yells.

"This is nothing." He says, shifting in an attempt to get to his feet.

"Don't move idiot!" She yells and forces him to sit.

"I said I'm okay." He says. She pulls away his hand covering the wound. It wasn't as deep as she feared but it still bled pretty badly. She didn't know what he was thinking trying to walk it off. Carefully she places a hand over the wound.

"Hey," Kanda says startled by her touch. "What are you-"

Robin's hand began to glow pure white. Kanda gasps and she pulls away. The previously bleeding wound was gone, his skin smooth as though it never happened.

"How did you do that?" Kanda asks. Robin slumps back and smiles.

"My innocence gives me the ability to heal." She says. "It takes up a lot of energy though."

"You didn't have to do that." He says.

"Oh shut up." She says. "At least we've accomplished our mission."

"Excuse me." The boy says. "Is that monster dead?"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have any problems now." Kanda says.

The boy looks to Robin. "Thank you." He says. "You were so nice and went to all that trouble to save me."

"No problem. It's our job after all." Robin says. Suddenly the boy pulls out a glowing green orb.

"Oh! That's-"

"Innocence." Kanda says.

"I found this along the side of the road one day." The boy says. "You could probably sell it for a fair amount of money. I want you to have it." The boy drops the fragment of innocence into Robin's hands.

"Thank you." She says.

"Take care!" The boy yells running off.

"You too!" She yells back. "What a sweet boy."

"Check your pockets." Kanda says. She stops and rummages through her pockets. Her heart sinks as she realizes her wallet was missing.

"Dammit!" She yells. "That little stinker!"

Kanda suddenly chuckles. Robin stops and stares at him shocked.

"What?" He asks.

"You...laughed." She says.

"And?" He asks. She smiles.

"It was nice."

"Che."

Kanda looks away and she swears she could just make out the faintest of smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

"Your smile is really nice." She says once the door to their room is closed shut.

"Yeah?" He asks, setting Mugen against the wall by his bed.

"Uh-huh." Robin says. "Maybe now we can stop screaming at each other."

"You got me shot idiot." He says.

"Actually, you got yourself shot." She says. Kanda pauses and stares at her like she has five-heads.

"Why am I talking to you?" He asks.

"Because deep down inside you actually crave human interaction."

"Doubt it." He says. Out of nowhere he pulls his shirt up over his head.

"Whoa!" She suddenly yells.

"Grow up." Kanda says, his chest exposed again. "I need to shower." He reaches for the dresser closest to him.

"Wait, Kanda I don't think that's your-"

In his hands are the exact lacy pink underwear she was planning to sneak out and burn that night. Kanda stares at them mortified. He looks over at her and her face turns completely red.

"Those aren't mine!" She yells.

"Then why were they in your dresser?" He asks.

"Well, they're, uh, my girlfriend's." She says, trying to think of a good lie. Kanda's eyes narrow.

"You're lying." He says.

"No I'm not!" She yells.

Kanda's silent, quietly searching her face. Robin was hiding something, that's for sure. Just what though was something Kanda wanted to know.

"What are you hiding?" He asks.

"Nothing!" She yells a little too quickly.

"Then stop lying." He says. "Look, if you swing that way-"

Her cheeks flush.

"I am not gay!" She yells. Kanda throws his hands up.

"I'm just saying you are pretty girly at times. It would certainly make sense."

"I'm not!" She yells, standing up to face him.

"Then why do you drool every time I turn away, huh?!" He yells.

"I do not!" She yells, taken back by the sudden accusation.

"Then what are you hiding?!"

"I told you, I'm not hiding anything!" She yells. "Why don't you trust me?! I thought we were friends!"

"We are not friends!" Kanda yells. "You're obnoxious and a pain in the ass! All you do is drag me down! I don't need anyone, least of all you!"

"Fine." Robin says, gritting her teeth. "Have it your way." Robin stands and reaches for the door.

"Where are you going idiot?!" Kanda yells.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She says turning around to face him. "I thought you didn't care."

"I don't." He says.

"Then why don't you go wash your precious hair?" She says. She grabs the door handle and slams it shut. "Asshole!"

Robin storms down the Order's hall. She doesn't stop walking till she finally makes it outside. The sky shines down on her and she holds up a hand to block the sudden brightness. In the distance she could make out the shape of a person. Deciding she had nothing better to do she walks over hoping to get a better look. As she gets closer she's greeted by a friendly smile.

"Oh hello Robin." Allen says. "Care to join me?"

"Hey Allen." She says sitting down beside him. "What are you doing out her?"

"Well..." He glances down at the deck of cards in his hands sheepishly.

"Are those playing cards?" Robin asks. Allen nods.

"Want to play a game of poker?" He asks. "I used to play all the time while I was training under Master Cross."

"Master Cross trained you too?" She asks, accepting her stack of cards.

"Three years." Allen says. He grimaces. "I don't know how I survived that long what with Master's inability to control his spending, but that's neither here nor there."

"I only had to deal with him for a month." She says.

"Lucky."

"It was a good thing I could play my violin." She says.

"You play the violin?" He asks.

"Yeah." She says with a smile. "I used to play on the streets and passersby would drop money in my case if they liked my playing. I was actually able to get a fair bit of money that way."

"You should play sometime." He says smiling. "I'd love to hear you."

"You know," She says. "You're really nice Allen." She replaces a card from her hand.

"Really?" Allen asks with a light blush.

"Uh-huh." She says. "I like hanging out with you way more than that stupid Kanda."

"Aww, thanks." He say. "I like talking to you too. So how are you guys working out?"

Her face darkens.

"We had a fight." She says. "That stupid jackass is so stubborn."

"That's Kanda for you." Allen says. "He never lets anyone get too close."

"It's such a shame though." She says with a sigh. "He has such a nice smile."

"He smiled?" Allen asks wide-eyed.

"Yeah." She says. "I saw it on our mission. He even laughed."

"I didn't think that was possible. By the way..." Allen carefully reveals his hand. "Royal straight flush." He says with a grin.

"No way!" She yells. "You cheat!"

He chuckles. Suddenly her stomach growls and she groans.

"Why is it that I'm always reminded I'm hungry when I'm with you?" She asks. Allen smiles and suddenly his own stomach growls. He blushes.

"Guess our stomachs are on the same page." He says. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Yeah." She says. The two of them get up and make their way back into the Order.

Once they enter the cafeteria Lavi waves them over to a table. Robin feels her jaw clench as Kanda glances over in their direction. He scowls and goes back to glaring at his soba.

"Allen! Robin!" Lavi yells.

"Geez, Lavi." Allen says taking a seat opposite Lavi. "You don't have to yell." Robin sits next to Allen so that she faces straight ahead at Kanda. Their eyes meet for a second and she frowns.

"What do you want Doe-Eyes?" Kanda asks.

"I'm not sure asshole." She says. "Why don't you go back to eating your stupid noodles?" Lavi and Allen flinch as Kanda twitches with anger.

"Do you have a death wish?" He asks reaching for Mugen.

"No." She says. "Do you really thing I'd come to you if I wanted to die?"

"I can and will hurt you." He threatens.

"You wouldn't hurt a fly." She says.

"Oh?" He says. "And what makes you think that?"

"Because you're a good guy." She says, looking away. "You talk a big show, but in the end you would never harm another exorcist. Not without a good reason. You're not that kind of person." Kanda's quiet. She could feel his eyes watching her but refuses the urge to turn around and stare back.

"Aww." Lavi says, interrupting the two of them. "Look's like you've got yourself an admirer Yuu." He chuckles. "Yuu and Robin sitting in a tree-" Robin face flushes.

"Shut up!" She yells. "I am not gay! Nor do I have feelings for Kanda!"

"You could have fooled me." Lavi says grinning. "It's too bad though. Kanda here was going to take you out for the day tomorrow."

"What?!" Both Kanda and Robin yell in unison.

"I was hoping you two could go shopping for me." Lavi says.

"Do your own damn shopping!" Kanda yells.

"I have a mission tomorrow!" Lavi whines. "I really need some stuff. You can use some of the leftover money to buy yourself something if you want. Pleeeassse?"

"Fine." Robin says. "But why do I have to go with him?"

"Yuu never goes out." Lavi says. "Not unless it's a mission. As his friend I feel it's my responsibility to make sure he's living life to its fullest. And to be honest you seem capable of stopping him from chopping someone's head off."

She groans. "Then how about Allen tags along with you guys?" Lavi suggests.

"What?" Allen asks. "Why me?"

"Do you mind?" She asks.

"Well, I guess not." He says. "But are you sure Lavi?"

"Yeah!" Lavi says. "The more the merrier!"

"Okay then." Allen says. "I'll go."

"Thank you guys!" Lavi says.

When Robin chows down all of Jerry's cooking and is stuffed and happy, she says her farewells to Allen and Lavi and follows Kanda back to their room.

"Jerry's cooking is delicious!" She says falling back onto her bed.

"Shut up." Kanda growls. He grabs a handful of clothes out of his dresser.

"You're in a good mood." She comments.

"I said shut up."

"You're not still upset are you?" She asks.

Kanda ignores her and heads for the bathroom. She sighs. So much for civilized conversation.

"The lock on the bathroom door is broken." Kanda suddenly says.

"You broke the door?!" She asks.

"Shut up." He says. "Just don't walk in while I'm showering."

The image of Kanda, naked and wet flash across her eyes. Those strong muscles all across his body and his long blue hair flowing down to his back as water splashes across his skin... She quickly buries her face in her blankets attempting to hide from Kanda's stare.

"G-got it." She says. Kanda gives her one last glance then closes the door behind him.

Deciding it would be best to get some practice in, she reaches under her bed and pulls out the violin case. She pulls it out with care and runs the bow across the strings.

In the shower Kanda hears the violin. It was a sad song, it's melancholy chords tugging at the hearts of its listeners. Kanda closes his eyes and lets the melody envelop him. Listening closely he could hear the pain in those notes. He could feel its sorrow and anguish wash over him and he has to stop himself from running back into the room and ripping the instrument to pieces.

The door to the bathroom swings open and Kanda stands in the doorway watching her. She opens her eyes for a split second and meets his eyes. Her fingers slip and the song is cut off.

"Crap." She says. "I messed up."

"Would it kill you to play a happy song?" He asks.

"You're one to talk."

"It's not like I get angry for fun." He says.

"True." She says. "Lavi does make it pretty easy."

"That rabbit never shuts up." He says. He lays back on his bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Well," Robin says. "Rabbit stew is supposedly pretty tasty."

"No way." He says grimacing. "He'd taste awful."

"So," She says gripping the violin. "Any requests?" He glances over at her thoughtful.

"How about the very first song you learned?" He asks, throwing her off guard.

"My first?" She asks. He nods. She stares down at the violin and closes her eyes. She tries to reach for the song, but the notes won't come.

"Hey." He says. She snaps her eyes open. "You alright?"

"On second thought," She says forcing a smile. "I think I'll just go to bed." She packs away the violin and shuts off the light.

"Night." She says.

"Night."

She curls up into bed and gets comfortable. Her eyes close shut and she gently falls asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Robin's eyes slowly flicker open. She groans and moves her body, still on the verge of sleep. She turns her head to the side and stares straight into a pair of dark, angry eyes. She jumps and suddenly falls over the edge of her bed. There's a loud thud as her head slams against the floor.

"OW!" She yells.

"Idiot." Kanda says.

"Don't do that!" She yells rubbing the back of her head.

"Do what?" He asks, slightly amused.

"Don't glare at me right as I wake up!" She yells. "It scares the crap out of me!" Kanda reaches for a book by his bed and cracks it open. She spots a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, but soon his book blocks his face.

"Don't you have to get ready?" He asks.

"Oh, yeah!" She says, getting onto her feet. "We're going shopping for Lavi today! Crap we're going to be late!" She runs to her dresser and grabs the first clothes she finds.

"You mean you're going to be late." Kanda says.

"You're not coming?"

"No way." He says.

"Really?" She asks.

"Really."

"Your loss." She says. She hurries into the bathroom and throws on her clothes. She gives herself a once-over in the mirror than runs back into the room, looking for her shoes. She spots one of her converse in front of the end of the bed.

"Hey, have you seen my other shoe?" She asks.

"Nope." Kanda answers.

She peeks under her bed and spots the other shoe lodged behind her suitcase. How the hell did it get over there?! She frantically crawls under and reaches for the converse. From the door there's a loud knock and she jumps, hitting her head against the bed frame.

"Ow..." She whines. From where he sits, Kanda chuckles with amusement. "I'm gonna have a freaking aneurism." She mutters, cradling her head. She crawls back out with the shoe triumphantly in her hands.

"Kanda can you get the door?" She asks. "It's probably Allen."

Kanda groans and lets Allen inside.

"Morning Kanda." Allen says.

"Che." He says and goes back to his reading.

"Morning Allen." Robin says. "Looks like it's just gonna be you and me today. Kanda isn't coming."

"Oh," Allen says. "That's too bad. Are you ready yet?" She slides her other foot into her shoe and gets to her feet.

"Ready." She says cheerfully.

"Try to have fun without us." Allen says to Kanda.

"Yeah," Robin says. "See ya." Kanda grunts in reply and they shut the door behind them.

Once Allen and Robin reach town, Allen pulls out a long sheet of paper that unfurls down to his feet. Robin's jaw drops. Scribbled in bright red pen were nearly a hundred different items Lavi wanted them to buy.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She yells.

"I wish I wasn't." He says. "He also gave me money." Allen shows her a small pouch stuffed with bills.

"This is going to take all day." She whines.

"Probably." Allen admits. He peeks at the very top of the list. "Let's just get what we can."

"Okay." She says.

Her and Allen roam from one shop to the next, steadily crossing off items from the list. As they got closer to the bottom, the items became increasingly bizarre. They leave a toy store with a pogo stick and pink ballerina tutu, when Allen stops annoyed.

"What the-?" He says glaring at the piece of paper in his hands.

"What is it?" Robin asks. She sets a lamp and hamster cage at her feet.

"An anvil?!" He yells. "Where on earth would you get an anvil?!"

"Blacksmith?" She offers.

"Why would he even need one?! Gah, stupid Lavi!"

"This is a wild goose chase, isn't it?" She asks.

"Yeah." He says. Allen sighs.

"Want to just go back?" She asks.

"No." Allen says. "How about we go someplace fun? There's a park nearby." Robin scans the rows of stores and stops at a cheerful little shop painted bright purple. On the sign were the words; Sally's Sweet Shop: Candy, Cupcakes, and Fresh Baked Goods.

"Want to go there?" She asks, pointing to the store.

"A candy store?" He asks.

"They have cupcakes." She says. Allen's eyes light up.

"Do you think they have red velvet?" He asks.

"Let's go find out." She says.

Kanda closes his book and glances across the bedroom. He wasn't used to this kind of peace and quiet. He had already finished two whole novels. He had another one, currently sitting on the bed next to him. He could start it, but for some reason he didn't really feel like reading. He looks over at the clock which read two o'clock. Those two idiots have been gone all day. How long does it take to buy a couple of things anyway? He finds himself staring at the empty bed across the room.

Robin was a pain. He was always smiling and laughing, being a complete idiot. And yet, Kanda couldn't help feeling some sort of kinship for the other exorcist. Though he'd never admit it, Robin made Kanda feel calm. Lavi really wasn't kidding when he said how Robin could stop his rampage. No one else had ever made him feel so peaceful before. With him suddenly gone, Kanda couldn't help becoming more and more irritable by the second.

"Dammit." Kanda growls, throwing the book across the room. He gets up and slips on his shoes. Maybe a walk will relax him. He heads down the hallway toward the cafeteria when he nearly walks straight into Lenalee. In her hands is a box filled to the brim with decorations.

"Watch where you're going." Kanda says.

"Kanda!" Lenalee yells off guard. "What are you doing back so soon?!"

"I didn't go." He says. "Besides, why would it matter?" Lenalee smiles.

"We're planning a surprise party for Robin." She says. "You know, to officially welcome him into the Order. We're still getting ready. Want to help?" He pauses.

"A party?" He asks.

She and Allen sit down on one of the park benches, cupcakes in hand. She ended up picking out a vanilla-chocolate swirl with deep blue icing and rainbow sprinkles. Looking down at the frosting she couldn't help thinking of Kanda's long, flowing hair. If she had to pick one trait as her favorite, it would be his hair. She normally cringed at long hair on a guy, but for some reason it worked with him.

She sighs and looks up at the sky. The sky was clear blue, with occasional patches of fluffy white clouds carried by the wind. It was a beautiful day, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself from wanting nothing more than to go home. The candy store was fun. She got a handful of lollipops and a bag of gummy bears she was planning to have later. She even got a box of sweets called Pocky. She had never seen it before and Allen insisted they buy some, saying how it was really good. Maybe Kanda would like it. Stranger things have happened.

"It's a beautiful day." Allen says glancing up at the sky with her.

"Yeah." She says. Allen turns to her and smiles. Robin bursts out laughing. Smeared across one side of his face was a streak of chocolate frosting.

"You have chocolate all over your face." She says.

"What?!" He says blushing. He rubs his face trying to wipe it off, but fails miserably.

"Here," She says. "I'll get it." With one hand she gently wipes away the streak of icing.

"Thanks." He says.

"No problem." She says with a smile. "What are friends for?"

"Would you believe I never had a single friend before I met Master Cross and became an exorcist?" He asks.

"Really? But you're such a nice guy."

"I wasn't always." He says. "Most people ended up avoiding me because of my arm and my cursed eye. No one ever wanted me, so I pushed everyone away. I was pretty messed up back then."

"My parents abandoned me at an orphanage when I was an baby." She says. "The couple in charge were horrible. One day I was finally able to run away and I lived on the streets. It was a hard life and I was all alone. I had to work to survive everyday and at one point I thought I wouldn't make it. But then Master Cross found me and trained me to become an exorcist with the Black Order." She smiles. "The Black Order is kind of like a second chance for me. I don't want to let anyone down."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Allen glances down at his watch."Well," He says. "It's about time. You ready to head back?"

"Time?" She asks. "Time for what?"

"You'll see." He says with a smile.

Once Robin and Allen return to the Order, right away she notices that something is amiss. The Order's corridors were eerily silent and the usual number of finders walking around were nowhere to be seen. She immediately puts her guard up. Did something happen? Is it an akuma?

"Robin! Allen!" Lenalee calls from a lit doorway. She and Allen run over to greet her. She looks over at the various objects they brought back for Lavi.

"Wow." Lenalee says. "Lavi really went all out for this plan of his."

"Plan?" Robin asks. "Wait, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

Lenalee and Allen exchange a look and smile at each other. Lenalee walks through the doorway next to her and then Allen follows. Robin cautiously follows the two, wondering what it was that was in store for her.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yells. A cloud of confetti is thrown at her head and she's surrounded by smiling faces. Hanging across the ceiling is a huge banner that say: "Welcome Robin!" in big letters. Along the tables were plates upon plates of Jerry's cooking that made her drool just seeing it.

"Robin." Komui says from the center of the crowd. "Speaking for the rest of the Black Order, I'd like to formally say welcome." He smiles at her. "Welcome to the Black Order!"

"Welcome to the family!" Lavi says coming up behind her.

"Yeah!" One of the finders say. "You're one of us now!"

"Yeah!" The rest of the crowd yells raising their glasses in a toast.

"You guys..." She says. Before she even realizes it, tears begin to pour out of her eyes.

"Welcome home idiot." Kanda says. All eyes turn to him leaning against the wall.

"I'm home." She says back with a smile. Kanda places a hand on top of her head. Her and the rest of the Order stare at him, taken back by the suddenly show of affection.

"Yuu and Robin," Lavi begins singing.

"Shut up baka usagi." Kanda growls.

"Oh yeah!" Lavi says shrugging off Kanda's death glare. "Did you two get everything on my list?"

"Yeah about that," Allen says. "I realize it was just a way to get Robin out of the Order for the day, but couldn't you have requested normal objects? Why would you ever want an anvil?!"

"Why wouldn't you want an anvil?" Lavi says laughing. She and Allen roll their eyes. No one ever really knows what goes on in that rabbit's head.

"Oh yeah." Robin says remembering the candy she and Allen bought. "I got you something Kanda. I don't know if you'll like it." Kanda looks over curious as she pulls out a box of Pocky.

"You got Pocky?" Kanda asks.

"You've had it?" She asks.

"You haven't?" She shakes her head. Kanda peels open a package and offers it to her. "Try it." He says. "It's good." Robin grabs a piece and takes a bite. Kanda watches as her face lights up.

"It's good!" She says grinning.

"You're so cute Robin!" Lavi says pulling her into an embrace. "If you were a girl I'd kiss ya!"

"Like I'd ever kiss you." She says. Lavi pouts and everyone laughs.

The rest of the night Robin spends wandering around the party, talking and laughing with the others. The food was delicious and there wasn't a single person who wasn't smiling. Well, the exception being Kanda of course, but even he appeared to be enjoying himself in his own silent way. As the party slowly died down, finders began to return to their rooms for the night. Robin says her good-byes to Allen and the others and she and Kanda return to their room.

"That was so much fun!" She says going straight to her bed.

"Good." Kanda says. He shuts off the lights and plops down on his own bed.

"I hope you weren't sitting around missing me all day." She says.

"You wish." Kanda says. "I was fully enjoying the peace and quiet."

"Thank you." She suddenly says.

"For what?"

"Lenalee told me that you helped out when they were getting ready."

"Oh," He says. "Yeah. No problem."

"Hehe." She says, curling up in her blankets. "Night Kanda!"

"Night." He says.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author note!: Yay! I finally figured out how to write a note! (This is my very first fanfiction, please don't judge.)**

**Anyways, thank you, thank you for your reviews! I get really happy reading them and I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**

**Also, disclaimer: I do not own DGM. Though I wish...**

* * *

Robin slowly opens her eyes. A ray of sunshine slides in through the room's window and lands on the wall above her. Her mouth turns into a gentle smile as the peace of the morning surrounds her. She was in a particularly good mood, what with the party last night and her and Kanda finally getting along. She glances over to the opposite side of the room and the sleeping form of Kanda. For once she woke up before him. His eyes were shut with his hair splayed across his pillow. The expression on his face was one of pure peace and seeing it Robin couldn't help but smile. For such a sour-puss he was certainly beautiful at times.

Moving so as not to wake him, she silently creeps to her dresser and pulls out a handful of clothes. She could probably shower and get dressed before he woke up. She hadn't actually bathed in a while, so a nice hot shower would feel nice. She closes the bathroom door behind her and turns on the facet. Once the water was warm, she hops in.

When she was clean and warm she turns off the water and reaches for her towel. The sudden change in temperature left her shivering and she wanted to get dressed quick. She reaches for her clothes when the door to the bathroom suddenly opens. Kanda stops, staring straight at her. She watches as his face turns beet red.

"GET OUT!" She yells, desperately trying to cover up. But it's too late. He saw her. There's no way around it now. Kanda knows she's a girl.

He stands in the doorway for a second dumbstruck. Robin is a girl?! Memories flood back to him all of a sudden. The high-pitched voice, her modesty with changing, her reaction every time someone called her a girl; it all suddenly made sense. Robin is a girl.

"Kanda!" She yells and he snaps out of it. He feels heat rise to his cheeks.

"S-sorry!" He yells and runs out of the room.

Robin wobbles, then suddenly her knees give out and she lands on the bathroom floor.

"No." She whispers. _He knows. He knows. He knows. _

She buries her face in her hands. What is she going to do now? Kanda knows she's a girl. Will he tell? What will everyone do when they find out? She shakes her head. She won't be able to stay here anymore. She won't be able to continue as an exorcist. What will she do now? This was her last chance, and now she blew it. She can't go back to her previous life again. She has nothing.

There's a knock from the bathroom door and Robin jumps.

"Robin?!" Allen calls.

"Don't come in!" She yells. Her hand grabs the pile of clothes next to her.

"Are you alright?!" Allen yells.

"Yeah." She says. "I-I'll be out in a second." She pulls on her jeans and shirt and opens the bathroom door. Allen's gray eyes reach hers with an expression of genuine concern.

"What's up?" She asks, forcing herself to sound cheerful.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks.

"Of course." She says. She attempts to smile, but once she does she feels a tear escape and roll down her cheek. One by one more eyes follow until her mask slips and she suddenly breaks into sobs. Allen places a comforting hand on her shoulder and leads to her bed.

"What happened?" He asks. Robin hides her face in her hands and shakes her head.

"Hey Allen?" Lavi calls entering the room. "You find Robin?" He stops and glances at the two of them sitting on her bed together.

"Is he okay?" Lavi asks, concern in his voice. Allen shakes his head. Lavi slowly closes the bedroom door behind him and goes to sit on the opposite side of Robin.

"Did Lenalee chase after Kanda?" Allen asks Lavi. The red-head nods.

"He looked so pissed." Lavi says. "I swear, I thought he finally killed someone."

"Did you two have a fight?" Allen asks Robin.

"Something like that." She says, feeling herself calm down.

"He didn't hit you or anything, did he?" Lavi asks. She shakes her head no.

"I need to find him." She says. She gets to her feet. "I need to talk to him."

"No way." Lavi says. He grabs her arm and pulls her back onto the bed. "You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here with us until Lenalee gets back. Got it?" Robin sighs and concedes defeat. She didn't have the energy to argue with Lavi. Besides it would be useless now. Any second Kanda will tell. He'll tell everyone that she's a girl and she'll be gone.

Fresh tears pour out of her eyes and she whimpers. Allen looks over at her with sad eyes and places a hand on hers. He glances at Lavi who looks back at him worried.

"Would talking about it help?" Allen asks. She shakes her head.

"You will hate me." She says.

"That's ridiculous." Lavi says.

"Yeah," Allen says. "We'd never hate you. You're our friend."

"Yeah." Lavi says. "We may all fight sometimes and get angry, but we'd never hate you. You're one of us. Nothing can change that." Robin wipes her eyes.

"Thank you." She says. "You guys are so nice."

"You're the one who's nice Robin." Allen says.

"Yeah." Lavi says. "Robin is so kind. He never gets mad at anyone and always thinks about others. Plus he's so cute." Lavi peeks down at her and smiles. "Kanda is such an idiot for making an adorable little cutie like this cry." Robin's face blushes.

"I'm a guy!" She yells.

"I know, I know." Lavi says. "I just can't help it!" He squeezes her into an embrace and Allen chuckles.

"Thank you." She says. "I feel a little better now."

The door to the room opens and Lenalee peeks her head in.

"Did you find him?" Lavi asks. She nods.

"He's in the training room now." Lenalee says.

"Can I talk to him?" Robin asks.

"He looked really mad." Lenalee says. "Plus he has Mugen with him. Are sure that's the best idea?"

"He won't hit me." She says. "I just need to talk to him. It'll be okay. Really."

"Okay." Lavi says."But we're coming with you."

The four of them all leave and head towards the training room. Lenalee walks in front leading the way, while Lavi and Allen stay at either side of her like a pair of bodyguards. Lenalee stops in front of a door and they all look toward Robin.

"I need to speak with him alone." Robin says.

"We can wait outside." Lenalee says. Allen and Lavi look like they want to argue, but one look from the pigtailed girl keeps them silent. "Be careful." She says. "Just yell if there's any trouble. We'll come running as fast as we can."

"Thank you." Robin says. Lenalee smiles and Robin enters the training room alone.

A large room spreads out before her. The overhead lights were off with the only light coming in through the windows on the far side of the room. The floor was covered by mats and there were various targets and weights scattered near either wall. In the center of the room there's the lone figure of Kanda standing back turned toward her with Mugen unsheathed by his side.

"Kanda?" She asks. She knows he heard her, but he doesn't make a move. The two of them stand in silence. Robin looks down at the mats, unsure what to say.

"Kanda?" She tries again.

"I can hear you idiot." He says.

"I-" She says. "I'm-"

Kanda turns to look over at her. His face is calm and his eyes silently bore into hers. She opens her mouth and he looks away.

"You're a girl?" He asks.

"I'm so sorry." She says. "I never...I mean, it was never my intention...I just...I never meant to deceive anyone...Least of all you."

"Why?" He asks, still facing away.

"It's more of a habit." She says sheepish. "I've never really thought of myself as a girl before. I had to hide my gender out of necessity while I lived on the streets. I've just become used to hiding it."

"Why would you ever need to hide it?" Kanda asks.

"Would you want to be a young girl all by yourself on the side of the road?"

She watches his fist clench and tighten. "But still..." Kanda says. He clamps his jaw shut and forces himself to stare into the wall.

"I'm sorry." She says. "I just-if anyone knew..."

"Are you telling me to stay quiet?" Kanda asks. "Everything will be fine so long as I don't tell anyone right?"

"I...I don't know."

Kanda scoffs. "You might be fine with it, but I'm not." He says. "What am I supposed to do now? Do you expect me to just continue like we've been?" He shakes his head. "I can't. I can't live with you anymore."

"You mean I can't stay here with you?" She asks.

"I don't know."

Robin slowly turns and walks back toward the door, swallowing the tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. Kanda doesn't move and continues to stare off into the darkness. When she reaches the door she hesitates.

"Thank you for everything." She says. She takes one last look at the exorcist's tall stolid form.

"Good-bye Kanda."

The door to the training room closes shut and she's gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**I've been writing like crazy lately! I literary wrote this chapter in one day. **

**I hope you enjoy it! :) PS: I don't own DGM!**

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"Good morning Yuu!" Lavi say cheerfully. Kanda's eyes snap open and he restrains himself from slicing the rabbit in half with Mugen. Lavi walks over to his dresser and grins at the irritable samurai.

Lavi knew tensions were high after the whole fiasco between Kanda and Robin, though he never would have guessed Kanda would ever willingly sleep in the same room as the red-head. Lavi personally didn't mind. He considered Kanda a friend and didn't mind helping a friend in need. Plus, he was one of the only other exorcists with a second bed in his room. However, the red-head couldn't help thinking back to Robin and how hurt the fellow exorcist had been.

"So how long are you planning on staying here?" Lavi asks Kanda. He looks away.

"I don't know." He says.

"I thought you two reached some sort of agreement." Lavi says, remembering when Robin finally came back from their talk.

"I don't know." Kanda says. He lays back on the bed and glares up at the ceiling.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened between you two, but you should at least try to think of Robin's feelings." Lavi says. "You really upset him."

"Him." Kanda repeats. Lavi glances over at him and barely sees the flicker of emotion in his eyes.

"Kanda?" Lavi asks. The samurai turns his attention to him.

"What?" He asks.

"Do you remember what you told me once? I think it was about six months ago." Kanda's jaw clenches. He remembered exactly what the rabbit was referring to.

"Do you think," Lavi continues. "that maybe you've actually started to have feelings for him?" Kanda's face turns red.

"You realize that just because I'm bi, that doesn't mean I fall for anyone I see, right?"

"I know that." Lavi says. "It's just, I've seen the way you look at him."

"Well," Kanda says. "He's...Robin is..." He falls silent.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you've got a pretty good chance. After you guys had your little fight, Allen and I went to see if he was okay. The little guy was balling his eyes out and kept going on and on about how you must have hated him."

"Robin was crying?" Kanda asks.

"I know you not very good with people." Lavi says. "And I know its because you're afraid of being hurt. You're afraid that if you let someone in they'll betray you and get you hurt. But if all you do is push people away you're just going to become bitter and alone. You're going to hurt the people who do truly care for you."

"What am I supposed to do?" He asks.

"Tell him how you feel." Lavi answers.

"It's not that simple."

"Of course it isn't." Lavi says. "But what's the worse that can happen? He rejects you? Come on, don't tell me the great and mighty Kanda is afraid of a little cutie like Robin."

"Do you really think it would work?" Kanda asks.

"I'm not certain, but it's clear he cares about you." Lavi says. "Why else would he willingly enter a room alone when you were pissed and armed? He was worried about _you._"

Kanda's cheeks flush. "Maybe..." He says. "...Maybe I was being a bit rash." Lavi smiles.

Suddenly the door to the room is thrown open.

"Allen!" Lavi yells. Allen stands by the doorway in a panic.

"We have a problem!" He says through exhausted breaths. "Robin is missing. No one else has seen him. I looked all over the Order but I couldn't find him anywhere. I checked his room and the only thing there was his exorcist uniform."

_You mean I can't stay here with you?_

"He didn't..." Kanda starts.

"You think he ran away?" Lavi asks.

"Most likely." Allen says glancing over at Kanda.

"Does Komui know?"

"Yeah," Allen says. "He's ordered the finders and anyone who is still around to search for him."

"We should go too." Lavi says.

"Yeah." Allen says. He hurries out of the room ahead of them. Lavi grabs his hammer and follows him.

"Kanda!" Lavi yells in the samurai's direction. "Come on! We have to go!" Kanda snaps out of his trace and follows the red-head out.

Robin glances up at the sky. Dark, heavy clouds hung overhead, hinting at a storm soon to come. In her hand was the suitcase she had with her the very first day she came to the Order. She remembers how Kanda had suddenly attacked her thinking she was an intruder. She remembers meeting Lavi, Allen, Lenalee and all the others. Her horror when she found out she'd be sharing a room with Kanda. Her very first mission to destroy akuma. The surprise party everyone had thrown for her. She remembers it all fondly. But now it was all behind her. She can't go back now.

She walks down the cobble-stone streets and watches as people pass her in the other direction. They all looked so happy and were almost always with someone else. A relative maybe? Or were they friends? As she watches them she feels her own heart silently ache for everyone at the Order. We're they worried about her? Or did they find out about her and feel betrayed? Did they hate her for misleading them?

Suddenly her face crashes into a solid body. She falls back landing on her behind.

"Hey watch where you're going punk!" A man yells. Two other tough-looking thugs stand at the man's side.

"I'm sorry!" She says reaching for her suitcase.

"Eh?" The man says glancing at her. "Who do you think you are coming to our town?!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"This is our town!" One of the thugs says.

"Yeah!" The other one says. "Let's get him!"

"Crap!" She yells and turns to get away.

"Go get him!" The man yells and the two thugs chase after her.

Robin runs down the street and ducks into around corners trying to get away from the two thugs. They were pissed and could run at a fast pace. However, Robin was an exorcist and used to running after akuma. She easily gets ahead of them and sneaks onto an empty alley. The two thugs run past her hiding place and continue down the street.

She gets up trying to figure out where she was, when suddenly she realizes she doesn't recognize any of the buildings around her. She had gone deep into the city and had no clue where she was. Her heart sinks. She was lost. Not that it really mattered. She didn't have anywhere to go anyway. She had no home. No family. No friends.

A drop lands on her nose and she looks up. Raindrops plummet to the earth and crash onto the street around her. The rain runs down her hair and soaks her clothes. She shouldn't stay out in this weather. But where can she go? She has no money. It's not like she could stay at an inn. She sighs and slumps down on the side of the road.

How many times had she sat out in the rain? Too many to count. This was her life again. Somehow she knew it was inevitable. She knew the Black Order was too good to be true. She knew she could never be anything other than alone. It was foolish to think otherwise.

But she couldn't help it. She thinks back to everyone at the Order. They're smiling faces. They're laughter. She thinks of Allen and his sweet, kind smile and the day they sat together in the park eating cupcakes. She thinks of Lavi and his goofy laughter. She remembers the huge list he made. She still couldn't believe he really wanted an anvil. She thinks of Lenalee and how nice she and her brother had been. Even all the finders had been nothing but kind to her. She misses them. She misses them so much. And there was one particular exorcist she missed most of all. She stifles a sob and allows her tears to mix with the raindrops rolling down her face.

"I want to go home." She says burying her face in her arms.

"Then come back idiot."

She suddenly glances up and stares straight into a pair of dark, glaring eyes. His long blue hair was plastered against his face and the rest of his exorcist uniform was soaked from the rain.

"K-Kanda?" She asks.

"Come back." He says.

"But, but I..." Tears begin to well up in her eyes again. "I betrayed you. I lied and mislead all of you. I-I thought..."

"Look," He says. "I'm not too sure about everything. I don't know how it could ever work, but girl or guy, you're still you. You're still Robin. I..." He looks away. "When you left...well...I missed you. I'm not good with this kind of thing but, well..." He glances back to her, his face flushed. "I want you to come back. Back to the Order. Back to our room."

"I thought you hated me." She says. "I thought you'd never forgive me."

"I don't hate you." He says. "I..." His blush turns brighter. "I...care about you. You're important to me."

"Kanda...You-"

"We should head back." He says. She suddenly stands up and buries herself in Kanda's arms. He freezes, then slowly his arms relax and he pulls her closer.

"Me too." She whispers. Kanda's quiet. He gently places a hand on top of her head.

"You dork." He says. Robin laughs and Kanda feels a smile spread along his lips.

"Let's go home." He says.

"Yeah."


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay! Here's the next chapter!**

**I love hearing feedback from everyone. I welcome all ideas, advice, and criticism! So if you have the time please review! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**

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Robin lies back on her bed and smiles up at the ceiling. She watches as the light from the window slowly sinks lower and lower over her head as the sun rose up into the sky. It was a peaceful morning and she was beginning to develop the pattern of waking up before Kanda. She glances over at him, asleep in his bed. She treasured the moments she could simply look over at him and commit his image to memory.

It has been a month since Kanda had found her alone on that rainy day. Everyone was so happy to see her returned to the Order. The moment she stepped back into the Order she was nearly suffocated by the barrage of hugs. Even the finders were happy to see her back safe and sound. Since then Kanda made sure to stay smack dab by her side. It was like he was afraid that if he left her alone she would make a run for it.

So far they were able to keep her secret hidden. She didn't know how long they'll be able to keep it up. After all, they were finally able to tell each other their feelings. Almost instinctively she began to feel Kanda's usual sharp glare soften into a warm, gentle stare. She felt those eyes watch over her as her silent protector stood guard at her side. Robin had yet to work up the nerve to make a move. She wondered when Kanda would finally lose his patience and close the distance between them. A girl and a guy sharing a room together, you would think something would happen. But Kanda never pushed. He's kept his distance, waiting for Robin to take the first step.

The bed across from her shifts and Kanda's eyes blink open. Realizing she was caught staring, she turns her attention back to the ceiling trying to hide the tint of red along her face. She hears him chuckle.

"Trying to check me out in my sleep?" He asks. Against her better judgment, she sneaks a peek at him and his mouth curls into a devious smile. "Well?" He asks, resting his chin on his arms. "Do you like what you see?" She buries her face in her blankets, knowing that if she looked at him now she was going to start drooling. Or die of a gushing nosebleed.

Of course Kanda couldn't accept that. He pulls off the rest of his blankets and allows his long locks of hair to fall across his chest. Another eccentricity she noticed since she came back to the Order was that now Kanda would somehow misplace his shirts right before bed. She knew exactly where he kept them, and oftentimes debated making him cover up, but it seemed like such a shame. Plus, she would lose her view.

"Well Robin?" He asks.

"I plead the fifth." She says.

"Ouch." Kanda says. "I guess I have no choice but to accept that for now."

"You don't want me die from a massive nosebleed, do you?" She asks.

"I suppose not." He says. She peeks over at him as he lays on his back staring up at the shards of sunlight along the ceiling.

"Do me a favor," She says. "Don't look away from that spot."

"Why?" He asks.

"Cuz I say so." She says. Kanda scoffs, but holds his gaze.

Robin pulls away her blankets and moves to the other bed. Her heart thumps in her chest and she wills her body to crawl onto the bed next to him. She had already decided she wouldn't go all the way with him. Not now at least. But that didn't mean she didn't want to cuddle. Kanda's eyes gaze into hers with an expression she had begun to recognize as lust. He smirks and silently brushes away a strand of hair from her eyes.

"It's about time." He says.

"It's not my fault you make my legs feel like jelly." She says.

"Hey, I work hard at that." He says. She rolls her eyes. Of course he does.

"It's just..." She says. She looks straight into his eyes. "I've never had anyone before. And I've never been in a relationship, for obvious reasons. I just want to take things slow."

"Okay." He says. "I just have one exception."

"Of course you do." She says pouting. Kanda smiles.

"Don't move" He says. He leans closer to where his face was just inches from hers. Knowing what was coming she feels herself lean closer to the point where their lips barely touch. She stays there motionless, waiting for him to close the gap when the door to the bedroom suddenly flies open.

"YUUUUUU!"

A vein pops out of Kanda's forehead and his hands tighten into fists. Robin makes a mental note of where Mugen leans against the wall and wonders how long it would take Kanda to unsheathe the sword and chop off Lavi's head.

"Lavi." Kanda growls. "The whole Order better be completely overrun by akuma. Otherwise you're a dead man!"

Lavi stands at the room's entrance motionless. He glances from Kanda to Robin and Robin to Kanda. The red-head's cheeks flush and he spins around grabbing the bridge of his nose.

"I'm so proud of you Yuu!" Lavi says. Kanda blushes and whacks one of his books into the back of Lavi's skull. Lavi winches and heads for the door.

"Yuu and Robin sitting in a tree!" He sings barely escaping Kanda's grasp. Kanda slams the door shut behind him and Robin could just barely make out a "K" and "I" from the hallway.

"Damn usagi!" He yells. Robin chuckles and heads for her dresser. Kanda's eyes follow her and he frowns.

"And where are you going?" He asks.

"I am getting dressed." She says.

"Oh no you're not." He says. "Not yet." He wraps one arm around her and he brings their lips closer. She closes her eyes and feels the warmth from his breath. Kanda pulls them closer and they just brush when suddenly there's a loud knock and the door to their room swings open.

"Rob-oh whoa!" Allen yells. He immediately turns to face the other way. "Get a room will you?!" He yells. Kanda growls and begrudgingly releases Robin.

"This _is_ our room baka Moyashi!" Kanda yells.

"Shut up Bakanda!"

"What's with everyone today?" Robin asks, interrupting them. "First Lavi, now you? What's up?"

"Well," Allen says ripping his glare from Kanda. "Apparently Komui has an announcement. He wants everyone to meet in the cafeteria."

"What does he want?" Kanda asks.

"I dunno." He says. "I just figured I'd let you two know. Anyways I'll see you there." Allen leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"I wonder what Komui's announcement is." Robin says. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Not a clue." Kanda says.

"Well, I'm getting dressed." She says, heading for the bathroom. She quickly throws on her clothes and runs a brush through her hair. When she leaves, she notices Kanda had put on a shirt and was in the middle of pulling back his hair.

"Ready?" He asks, reaching for Mugen. She slips on her shoes and smiles.

"Yup." She says.

Together they leave their room and head toward the cafeteria. Once they arrive, Lavi and Allen wave them over to a table and they sit down. The cafeteria was packed with people. It looked like every single member had come and managed to squeeze together at the tables. Robin glances around their table and notice two faces she doesn't recognize. One was a pale man with a white streak of hair at the front of his head and another girl with brown hair and fidgety eyes.

"Have you guys met yet?" Allen asks noticing Robin watching the two exorcists. Robin shakes her head.

"Then I'd like to introduce to you Arystar Krory III," Allen motions to the pale-faced man. "and Miranda Lotto." The girl smiles at her.

"I'm Robin." She says smiling back. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Krory says.

"Yes." Miranda says. "I hope we can all work together."

"Yeah." Robin says.

"Can I please have everyone's attention?" Komui calls at the front of the room. The room quiets and Robin shifts her seat in his direction. Lenalee stands by Komui's side along several members of the science division. Komui looks over the crowd and nods.

"You're probably wondering why I have gathered you all here." He says. "As you know, the Order is currently in a long-standing war with the Millennium Earl and his countless akuma. Exorcists, generals, and finders have been tirelessly fighting to save all of humanity, day in and day out. Which is why, as of now, I am announcing an official vacation for the Order!"

Robin and the other exorcists exchange excited looks with each other. A vacation was just what Robin needed. She and Kanda have been busy all month completing missions and destroying akuma. It was becoming tedious having to go out and destroy akuma only to have to fight even more the next day. Though tiring, fighting all the akuma was starting to make her stronger. She could see muscles peek out from under her skin and her attacks were becoming faster. Maybe now she could actually take on a level two by herself. Of course, that is if Kanda ever left her out of his sight.

She glances happily at him and he smirks back. A vacation with Kanda. She can hardly control her excitement. Amongst the ranks of lap coats, Reever motions for everyone to quiet down again.

"All Order members will be spending three days and two nights at all expenses paid trip to a mansion overlooking the ocean." Reever explains. "You may spend your time exploring the depths of hidden sea caves, relax in the sun on the beach sand, or go swimming with other members. What you do is up to you. We will be leaving tomorrow morning. Members going are expected to be packed and ready by then."

The crowd of scientists slowly disperses and the rest of the finders either leave for their rooms or begin ordering breakfast. Robin and Kanda stay with the others who also looked pleased to finally have a break.

"Awesome!" Lavi cheers. "The water, the sand, the sun! A few days at the beach is just what I need!"

"Yeah!" Allen says. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"I've never been to a beach before." Krory says.

"Me neither." Robin says.

"Really?" Kanda asks.

"Yeah, if you can believe it." She says. "I've seen the sea a lot of times before, but I've never actually had a chance to go to a beach."

"You'd love it." Lavi says to her. "You can build sandcastles, go swimming, make out with your boyfriend..." Robin's face flushes and Kanda reaches for Mugen.

"Boyfriend?" Krory asks. Then to her mortification, he adds, "But isn't Robin here a boy as well?"

"Yes Krory." Allen says. "I can't say I'm not surprised, but Robin and Kanda are together."

"Yeah," Lavi says grinning. "They were making out all morning!"

Oh my." Miranda says.

"We were not!" Kanda yells, his face red.

"Yeah," Robin says. "Lavi and Allen interrupted us."

"Don't tell them that!" Kanda says to her.

"But it's true." She says. Kanda bangs his head against the table and mutters something she couldn't exactly make out.

"Robin and Kanda are together?" A female voice says behind her. Robin turns around and she sees Lenalee standing by their table.

"Hello Lenalee." Robin says. "And um yes, we are...I think." Lenalee's face tugs into a huge smile and she reaches around and hugs Robin.

"Congrats!" Lenalee says. "I'm so happy for you two!" Robin blushes.

"Thank you." She says.

"Have you guys had your first kiss?" Lenalee asks. Kanda's face darkens and Robin offers the pigtailed girl a weak smile.

"Well," She says. "Like I said we were kinda interrupted."

"That's no good." Lenalee says. "You know what they say, if your timing's off once, you're doomed. Better hurry up you two or you'll be cursed."

"What a load of crap." Kanda says. "Curses don't actually exist."

"What about my eye?" Allen asks. "Mana cursed my eye and I can see akuma now."

"Yeah," Kanda says. "But wasn't he an akuma? Akuma are known to have strange powers. Whereas, the cosmos is not going to suddenly curse Robin or me because we haven't kissed."

"Then kiss him." Lenalee says smugly.

"What?!" Robin asks. Kanda's face turns red.

"No!" Kanda says. "Not with all you perverts watching!"

"Suit yourself." Lenalee says. "But the curse is real. I've seen it happen to couples many, many times." Then she leaves, her pigtails swaying behind her as she walks away.

"And there you have it." Lavi says through a grin.

"Shut up." Kanda grumbles.

Robin starts stuffing food into her mouth. She was starting to seriously love Jerry's cooking by now. Her waffles were so fluffy and light and made her mouth salivate just looking at them. Kanda sits with his back to the wall the rest of breakfast and silently waits for her to finish her food. When she finally swallows the very last bite, they get up, say their good-byes to the others, and head to their room to pack.

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**The curse is real! (duh, duh, DUH!) hehe :) I'm planning to finish the next chapter for Monday so please keep reading! Thank you!**


	9. Chapter 9

**As always thank you for reviewing! :)**

**I was initially planning for this chapter to start with them at the beach already, but I ended up getting caught up with the scene with Robin and Kanda. Sorry, but the beach will have to wait for the next chapter. (Sorry!)**

**I'm also not planning on this becoming a lemon. (sorry crownclown25). At least not soon. Maybe though. I don't know yet. ****I'm not very good with those kinds of stories.**

**Anyways, I hope you're still enjoying the story. And please review!**

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"So a curse?" Robin asks as she stuffs the rest of her clothes into her suitcase. She and Kanda had woken up early the next day to finish off their packing for the trip. In an hour they would meet the others in the cafeteria and be on their way to the beach. Across the room Kanda shoves a pair of shirts into his own bag and frowns.

"Please don't tell me you believe them." He says.

"I don't know." She admits. "It's an interesting thought." Kanda sighs and gives her an incredulous look.

"Curses aren't real." He says.

"What about Allen?" She counters.

"Moyashi is a special case." He says. "Lavi and Lenalee are just trying to freak us out. Besides, it makes no sense. It's nothing more than a sequence of coincidences."

"Next thing you know, you'll be telling me ghosts don't exist." She says.

"You believe in ghosts?"

"I'm not too sure." She says. "But I have experienced things that don't make sense otherwise."

"Like what?" He asks.

"One time while I was walking down the street and I felt a hand touch my shoulder." She says. "I spun around to see who it was and no one was there. Then there was the other time I spent a night in that abandoned factory. I had a hat on that day and as I was just about to go to sleep it was pulled out off my head and dropped on the ground besides me. I was completely alone and the next morning I found drawings of flowers painted on the floor around me. I've seen objects move. I've heard strange noises. I've misplaced things only to have them suddenly appear right in front of me. Apparently, I'm some kind of spiritual medium."

Kanda shakes his head. "The souls of the dead left behind to haunt those in the world of the living." He says. "I don't know. It just sounds too fantastic to be real."

"Lost souls haunting the living, huh?" She says. "It sounds no different than akuma."

"I know akuma are real." He says.

"Well, it's a little cliché." She says. "But even if ghosts don't actually exist I still feel like the dead aren't completely gone. Even though we'll never see the people we've lost, they're still here. They're in our memories, the places we've been, the gifts they leave behind." Robin looks down at the violin sitting on her bed. "...And in us." She says and falls quiet.

Kanda watches as Robin stares down at the instrument in a deep meditation. He wonders what she could be thinking. A memory maybe? Kanda feels himself being pulled to her side. Robin sways and he watches as a single silver tear falls from her eyes. He places a hand against her face and her large caramel colored eyes reach his. Golden eyes bright like shards of sunlight, Kanda muses.

"S-sorry." She says, wiping the corner of her eye. "I'm being stupid."

"It's not stupid at all." Kanda says. His fingers run along the edge of her chin then move up to her soft, pink lips. Maybe, Kanda thinks. Maybe... He leans in closer when suddenly there's a loud thud behind them and Robin jumps. They turn around to see that the stack of books Kanda kept at his bedside had toppled over. He stares at the giant pile of pages and frowns.

"How the hell did that happen?" He asks, starting to pick them up.

"You thought I was kidding." Robin says. Kanda rolls his eyes. She smiles and goes to help him. When all the books are re-stacked by his bed, Kanda closes his suitcase shut.

"You're not bringing a bathing suit?" She asks frowning.

"I'm not fond of swimming." He says.

"But-" She says.

"You're not bringing one either."

"Yeah, because I'm a girl." She says. "Whereas you are not."

"Why does it matter?" He says. "I see no reason to swim if you aren't."

"Just because I'm not doesn't mean you can't have fun. And even if you don't swim, you should still bring it anyway."

"Why would I bring a swimsuit if I'm not going to swim?" He asks. "I see no reason."

There's a reason alright, she thinks. A damn good reason. Robin was pretty sure that bathing suits were invented just so that guys like Kanda can strut along the beach looking as gorgeous as ever. It seemed like a perfectly good excuse to see him shirtless outside their room. Him and his amazing body splashing in the water...She feels her face heat up.

"Besides the point is mute because I don't own one." He says. Her heart sinks.

"Damn." She says. He gives her an odd look.

"Anyways," He says. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yeah." She says. She packs her violin into the suitcase and zips it shut. Kanda reaches for his case and Robin goes to do the same when he suddenly grabs it for her.

"You don't have to do that." She says.

"And you don't have to either." He says.

"I don't believe in chivalry." She says.

"Of course you don't." Kanda says opening the door.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She says following him out into the hallway.

"It means you aren't carrying it." She rolls her eyes.

"Fine." She says. "It's just weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," She says. "The last time I had my suitcase was when I ran away. It just feels strange."

Kanda glances at her with a troubled expression. She gives him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." She says.

"Robin," He says. "I want you to know that if you ever decide to leave like before you're going to have to go through me."

"I think I can take you." She says. "After all, I did manage to stop you when we first met."

"Oh shut up."

"Really though." She says. "I promise I won't run away. After all, I have a reason to stay now." She watches as his mouth curls into a smile as she says "reason" and feels a smile spread across her own face.

"I'm so excited though!" She says. "I can't wait to finally go to a beach!"

"It'll be nice." He says and they enter the cafeteria.

In one corner of the room were the members of the science division chattering excited. In place of their lab coats are colorful Hawaiian suits stitched with flowery designs. The finders going on the trip had left behind their usual brown-white cloaks and dressed in regular street clothes.

"Hey lovebirds!" Lavi yells in their direction. Kanda and Robin join the others.

"This will be fun." Allen says smiling.

"Yeah." Lenalee says in agreement.

"Just keep the PDA to a minimum." Lavi says looking toward her and Kanda. Kanda smirks.

"What was that again?" He asks, wrapping his arms around Robin's waist and bringing their faces closer.

"Eeek!" Lenalee yells, her face bright red. Robin glances at her, one eyebrow raised.

"What are you waiting for!?" Lenalee yells. "Kiss him! Kiss him!" Kanda stops, weirded out by the pigtailed girl's reaction. Lenalee giggles and clears her throat.

"Sorry." She says. "Got excited."

"Hey everyone!" Komui yells strolling into the cafeteria. "It's finally time to go!"

"Yay!" Robin says cheerfully. Kanda smiles and everyone follows Komui out.

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**The next chapter will be up soon! In the meantime, do you yourself believe in ghosts? Yes, this is a hint of foreshadowing. :) I won't spoil it though. If you have experienced any weird, paranormal, or unexplained phenomena (Bigfoot counts) I'd love to hear it! Please, please review! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter! I spent more time on this and I feel like it's one of my better chapters. I am trying to pay more attention to tenses.**

**Anyways, I hope you're still enjoying the story and please leave a review and let me know what you think! :)**

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"Yo Allen!" Lavi yells.

Robin watches as the rabid Lavi reaches for the other exorcist and pulls his head under the water. Allen struggles and manages to throw Lavi off so he lands face first into the waves.

"Lavi!" Allen yells. The red-head laughs and splashes water at him. "Hey quit it!" Allen yells. Allen kicks up a spray of water back at Lavi who grins wider.

"Water fight!" He yells triumphantly. Allen sighs and gives in. Robin watches as the two go back and forth; Allen's attacks becoming more and more vicious and Lavi's smile becoming wider and wider. Robin glances up at the clear, blue sky.

All morning the sun had beaten down at them without relent. At eleven o'clock she watched the science division's portable thermometer hit the ninety mark. Even now it read a blistering ninety-seven and she was pretty sure a number of the scientists had gone to fry eggs along the side of the road.

Her eyes turn back to the vast spread of water in front of her. In the afternoon sun the top of the water sparkles and dances like glittering blue scales. Every so often a wave rises out of the water and crashes onto the sand, nearly drowning the two idiots still bickering in the water. Robin sighs. She envies them. They can play in the cool, refreshing water as long as they want, while she's resigned to sit on the sand and roast.

Though she knows it's for the best that she avoid swimming. There's no way for her to hide her gender from the others. The heat is nearly unbearable but thankfully Kanda had found a large beach umbrella that they were able to prop up in the sand and huddle under. It isn't much of an improvement, but at least the shade keeps her from developing a serious case of sunburn.

"Idiots." Kanda says next to her. He glances up from one of the books he brought and looks over at Allen and Lavi struggling in the waves. Allen appears to have the upper hand and shoves the rabbit's head under the water. Kanda chuckles.

"I had no idea Allen could be so vicious." She says.

Kanda has on dark blue jeans that accentuate his long legs and hug his hips in all the right places. He's also wearing a sleeveless gray shirt, loose at the neck so that it reveals a glimpse of the rugged muscles carved into his chest. If it wasn't so hot Robin would have been drooling, but it's all she can do to keep the ring of sweat around her forehead from stinging her eyes.

She can't believe Kanda can wear jeans in this heat and not shed a single drop of sweat. The guy has to be cold-blooded or something. She glances at him watching Allen dunk Lavi's head under the waves. His mouth curves into a sinister grin and she can hear him chuckle with amusement every time Lavi struggles against Allen. She shivers. Definitely cold-blooded.

"He's way too annoying though." Kanda says.

"You think everyone is annoying." She says.

"True." He says.

Robin smiles. "He is kinda cute though." She says. Kanda pauses and raises an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" He asks.

"I just think Allen can be cute sometimes." Robin explains quickly. Kanda frowns.

"No." He says. "You said that you think he's cute."

"I can't comment on another exorcist's cuteness?" She asks.

"No." He answers. Robin sighs.

"It doesn't mean anything." She says. "I mean, I think the same of other exorcists."

"Who?" Kanda asks. Her gaze falls on Lavi and Kanda scowls.

"You think baka usagi is cute?!" He asks.

"Not cute." Robin says purposely avoiding his stare. "Just that if he lost the bandana he would be pretty good-looking." Kanda growls.

"Who else?" He asks.

"Well," She says, knowing better than to argue. "Lenalee is definitely cute and she's really nice. Miranda is really pretty too."

Kanda shakes his head. "Unbelievable." He says.

"What's wrong with noticing other exorcists?" She asks.

"Nothing." Kanda says, looking away. "I don't care."

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"Nothing." He says.

"Liar, liar, hair on fire." She says. Kanda gives her a look that says, "Really?" and she motions for him to explain.

"It's just," He says. He looks away.

"Yes?" She asks. Kanda sighs.

"You never call me cute." He says. Robin blinks.

"Wait," She says. "You're jealous?" Kanda's scoffs.

"Am not." He says. She rolls her eyes. He so is.

"Well," She says. "I don't really think of you as cute."

"Gee thanks." He says. Robin smiles.

"Cute? No." She says. "But freaking gorgeous? Hell yeah." Kanda blushes.

"You think I'm gorgeous?" He asks.

"It's a little embarrassing admitting it, but yeah." She says. "You're beautiful." He smiles and shakes his head.

"You're the one who's beautiful Robin." Her face flushes and she tries to hide from his gaze but Kanda pulls them closer so she's forced to stare directly into his eyes. He smirks.

"You look like a little strawberry." He says, pulling their lips closer. Suddenly Robin's stomach roars to life and releases a loud growl in protest. Kanda pauses and looks over at her even redder face.

"Really?" He asks.

"You're the one who mentioned strawberries." She says.

"You like them?" He asks. Robin's face lights up.

"They're my favorite!" She says. Right on cue her stomach rumbles again and she blushes.

Next to where they sit there's laughter. Robin peeks out from the safety of their umbrella and stare's directly into a pair of eyes accented with two purple tear-drop marks ending at sharp points. He wears a bright orange bathing suit and has bandages wrapping around his head with tufts of brown hair sticking out. He squats down by their umbrella glancing at the two of them with a mischievous grin.

"Well, well," He says. "She's a cutie."

"He." Kanda and Robin say in unison. The newcomer glances between the two of them and he raises an eyebrow toward Kanda.

"This little cutie is a guy?" He asks him.

"Yes Daisya." Kanda says. "Robin is a boy."

"Marie!" Daisya yells over his shoulder. "Kanda's making out with a dude!" Kanda's fists tighten and she sees him reach for Mugen.

"Stop bothering Kanda." A voice calls.

Robin sticks her head out farther and a tall, dark-skinned man stands beside Daisya. He dwarfs over them with board shoulders and a large muscular build. Covering his ears are a pair of headphones and Robin wonders why he's wearing them when she suddenly gets a glimpse of his pale, whitened eyes. Noticing Robin staring at him, Marie offers her a smile.

"I apologize for Daisya's rudeness." He says with a slight bow.

"Oh, that's okay." She says. He smiles.

"My name is Noise Marie." He says. "You may call me Marie."

"I'm Robin." She says smiling back. "Just Robin."

"And I'm Daisya Barry." Daisya says.

"No one cares." Kanda growls.

"Lighten up grumpy-puss." He says and Kanda points the edge of Mugen toward his throat. Daisya freezes and smiles uneasy.

"Are they friends of yours?" Robin asks Kanda, getting him to lower his blade.

"He wishes." Daisya says taking a seat right next to her. "We're more like brothers."

"Brothers?" She asks.

"We trained together under General Tiedoll." Marie explains.

"Tiedoll." Robin repeats.

"Have you met him?" Marie asks. She shakes her head.

"I've never met him in person." She says. "Though Master Cross mentioned the name once or twice."

"Oh, so you're the Robin who trained under General Cross." Daisya says. "That's convenient."

"Convenient?" She asks.

"General Cross requested you be brought to him." Marie answers her look of confusion.

"Wait," She says. "Master Cross is here?!"

"Yup." Daisya says. He motions to the top of a bluff where a beach table covered by a large umbrella sits overlooking the full expanse of the beach. Around the table are figures dressed in exorcist's uniforms trimmed with gold. Sure enough, she notices the long red hair and her face darkens.

"What does he want?" She asks. Daisya shrugs.

"Are you going to see him?" Kanda asks.

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" She asks.

"Have fun." Kanda says.

"Not so fast Kanda." Daisya says with a smirk. "I'm sure General Tiedoll would just love to see you." Kanda scowls.

"No way."

"Don't leave me alone with Master!" Robin says.

"He's your teacher right?" Kanda asks. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah, Master Cross." Robin says, scowling. "The cold-hearted drunk who spent all his time gambling while I was supposedly being trained. Not to mention a vagrant womanizer. During that month I nearly died twice because of him!"

"If you get into trouble, yell." Kanda says. Robin pouts.

"Pretty please?" She asks. She gives him her best puppy-dog eyes and he sighs.

"Fine." He says and Robin smiles.

"Geez," Daisya says smiling. "She's got you wiped Kanda." Before she can stop him, Kanda has Mugen pressed against Daisya's throat. Daisya slowly swallows and Kanda presses the blade closer to the point where it just nips his skin.

"Kanda!" Robin yells.

"Robin is a boy." Kanda growls. "Understand?" Daisya nods and he pulls the blade away, receiving a questioning look from Marie.

"Come on." Robin says pulling Kanda along with her. They trudge up a path that leads them to the top on the bluff, Robin leading the way. When they reach the top they're greeted by Komui who motions for them to come closer.

Sitting by the table is a slim woman with blonde hair and violet eyes. A large scar stretches across the upper portion of her face in an "X" formation, meeting at the point right between her eyes. Resting on her shoulder is a little monkey that the woman feeds tiny bits of food from the plate in front of her. Sitting across from her is scruffy haired man with a wild mustache and beard. Behind his glasses she sees his eyes twinkle as he scribbles onto a canvas hanging around his neck. The last person is, of course, Master Cross. Cross's vibrant red hair falls right at his shoulders underneath his hat, his goatee and eyes matching the same shade of red. In his hands is a wine glass filled with blood red liquid. Robin glances at the table in front of him and her eyes lock on a hard-covered case.

"Robin." Cross says, acknowledging her presence.

"What do want Master?" She asks. Cross takes a sip of his wine. His fingers brush the edge of the case and Robin flinches.

"How are you?" He asks.

"Fine." She says. The case unlatches and Robin sucks in her breath.

"How are you adjusting to life with the Order?" He asks. Cross pulls open the case and they all see the top of her violin.

"Fine." Robin says, glaring daggers at him. Cross ignores her and reaches to touch the smooth, amber-brown surface. Robin quivers, squeezing her hands tight to keep herself together.

"Really?" Cross asks. With one of his fingers, Cross plucks one of the strings and Robin snaps.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" She yells.

Komui and Klaud pause, glancing at her surprised. Tiedoll looks up from his sketch and his eyes reach hers and Kanda's.

"Kanda!" Tiedoll says smiling at the irritable samurai, who scowls and turns his attention to Robin, still seething by his side. Cross doesn't seem the least bit surprised by her outburst and casually leans back in his chair.

"You used to never leave it out of your sight." Cross says, looking down at the violin. "I'm surprised you would keep it so obviously out in the open on your bed."

"You stole it?" She asks.

"Borrowed." He says.

"So you stole it."

Cross sighs. "How about 'Moonlight'?" He asks motioning for her to take the instrument.

"Bite me." She answers.

"Robin." Komui says. Robin glares at him and he flinches.

"Cross mentioned you play the violin." Tiedoll says to her. "It would be wonderful to hear you play. If you are willing, of course."

Robin sighs. "Fine." She says.

She reaches for the instrument and Cross shoots her a side glance. She ignores him and curves her fingers around the violin's neck. Slowly the bow runs across the strings and she begins the soft, gentle intro to "Moonlight." Kanda recognizes the melody as the melancholy song she played so long ago. The same sorrow and anguish wash over him and he looks away. Klaud listens intently to the notes, her eyes shut in concentration while Cross gazes up at the sky thoughtful. As the last note fades into silence, Tiedoll claps with applause, tears streaming down his face.

"Bravo!" He says. "Truly beautiful!"

Klaud smiles. "Well done." She says and the monkey chatters happily in agreement. Robin glances at Kanda and he sneaks her a small smile.

"It's a shame Socalo couldn't make it." Tiedoll says.

"It's probably for the best." Klaud says. "I can't imagine him enjoying a peaceful day at the beach."

"True." Komui says. Cross grunts, quietly searching Robin's face. She frowns.

"Can I go now Master?" She asks.

"Of course." He says. "But first I suppose I should offer a friendly piece of information before you go."

"What is it?" She asks, replacing her violin.

"You and pretty boy here," Cross motions to Kanda who growls. "Are apparently staying in room 105 at the mansion, correct?"

Robin nods, remembering when she and Kanda first arrived and set their stuff down in their room. She doesn't remember the exact number, but room 105 sounds right.

"Are you aware of the local folklore?" Cross asks. "That room is supposedly haunted by a ghost by the name of Elizabeth Crowley. She was a widow who committed suicide by throwing herself off of the bluff after her lover perished. Rumor has it she haunts anyone who enter that room."

"You believe in ghosts?" She asks.

"It doesn't matter whether I believe it." He says. "There are records of visitors who have received injuries from staying in that room. Some have even reported attempting to commit suicide after staying the night and have died as a result. One report said that one visitor lost all control of her body and she threw herself over the edge just like Elizabeth."

"She?" Robin asks.

"All the victims are woman." Cross says staring straight at her. "As such, men don't seem to suffer the same effects."

"I'm not a girl." She says.

"No, you're not." He says with a smirk. "I'm warning you in case you meet any lucky ladies and decide to bring them back with you. We wouldn't want an incident." Robin's cheeks flush.

"I'm not like you." She says. "I don't flirt with every girl I see."

"Just go." He says dismissing her. Robin sighs and turns to leave with Kanda.

"Have fun!" Tiedoll calls, returning to his sketching.

Robin follows Kanda back to their umbrella. As she walks her grip on the end of the violin case tightens and she pulls it her chest, wrapping her arms around it in an embrace over her heart.

At the table, Klaud takes a sip from her own drink and raises an eyebrow at Cross.

"It's unlike you to take that kind of attitude." She says to him. "Especially, from one of your apprentices."

"Yeah, well." Cross says. "I like his playing."


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! I appreciate all the reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys give me motivation to keep writing and become a better writer. So thank you, thank you!**

**I hope you enjoy Chapter 11 and please leave a review! :)**

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When they return to their umbrella Robin slumps down on the sand and Kanda takes the spot next to her. She still has a death grip on the violin case and when Kanda places an arm on her shoulder she releases an involuntary growl. Kanda chuckles.

"Wow." He says. "I've never heard you growl before. I don't know whether I like it or not."

"I can't believe Cross would go into my room!" She yells. "Actually, I can believe it. That lousy lecherous thief. I've told him not to touch my violin!"

"You don't like it when he touches your violin?" He asks.

"I don't like it when anyone touches it."

"Even me?" Kanda asks, moving to unlatch the case. She glares at him.

"I know where you sleep at night." She says. "_And_ where you keep Mugen." The end of his mouth curls into a smile.

"Go for it." He says glaring back. "I'd love for you to join me while I sleep." Robin's face flushes and she sticks her tongue out at him.

"You haven't even kissed me." She says. "I'm beginning to think this curse idea might be real."

"Curses aren't real." He says.

"And yet we still haven't kissed."

"I can fix that." He says, moving closer. Kanda places a hand against her face and she lets him bring their lips closer.

"KANDA!"

Kanda grabs Robin and pulls them to the ground just in time for a soccer ball to fly over their heads and knock over the umbrella. It falls next to them in a pile of tattered fabric and she flinches at the sudden exposure of sun. Kanda grits his teeth.

"I'm going to kill him." He growls.

"I think I'll help you." She mutters and the two of them get up, dusting the sand off their clothes. Daisya runs over and grins.

"Hey have you seen-"

Daisya is cut off by Mugen pressed against his throat. Robin stands to the side, watching as Daisya gulps and tries to sneak away. Kanda blocks him off.

"Accept your death." Kanda growls. Daisya looks expectantly to Robin. "Robin won't save you." He says with an evil grin. "Right, Robin?"

She pauses, thoughtful.

"Don't kill him." She says. Daisya's eyes brighten with hope. Robin's mouth suddenly twists into a wicked smile. "No," She says. "Cut him open and don't stop until he begs for death." Daisya's eyes widen in horror and Kanda smirks.

"I like this Robin." He says, pressing the blade closer.

"Kanda!" A female voice scolds. Lenalee suddenly smashes a clipboard against his head and Kanda winches, relaxing his grip. Daisya uses the chance to make an escape, running for his life to the other side of the beach.

"He escaped!" Kanda growls.

"Damn." Robin says.

"Robin!" Lenalee yells to her. "Kanda I expect, but I can't believe you'd try to hurt another exorcist!"

"He had it coming." She says. The clipboard slams into the side of her skull and she winches.

"We don't hurt our friends!" She scolds.

"He's not a friend." Robin says back. Lenalee raises the clipboard again and Robin flinches.

"Fine!" She says. "I'll be nice! Just don't hit me!" Lenalee gives a smug nod and lowers the board back to her side. Robin lets out a long sigh and frowns.

"Why is Robin in a bad mood?" Lenalee asks Kanda.

"Cross." Kanda answers and Lenalee nods. She glances down at the fallen umbrella and notices the violin case.

"What's that?" She asks, bending down to inspect it.

"Don't touch it!" Robin says and Lenalee instantly pulls her hand away.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She says. "What is it?"

"A violin." Robin answers. "I don't like people messing with it." Robin takes a seat next to the pigtailed girl and opens the case to show her the instrument.

"I didn't know you played the violin." Lenalee says.

"He's good." Kanda says. Lenalee smiles.

"You must really cherish it." She says. Robin glances at the violin and allows herself a small smile.

"It's my most valuable possession." She says.

"Is it worth a lot?" Lenalee asks.

Robin shakes her head. "Not monetarily. It was a gift from someone very precious to me."

Lenalee's cheeks flush. "A lover?" She asks and Kanda gives her a sharp glance.

"No." Robin says shaking her head. "A friend. In fact, she was my best friend."

"Was?" Lenalee asks. Robin's face darkens.

"I was abandoned at a orphanage as a baby." Robin says. "While I was there I shared a room with a girl. I continually had trouble interacting with the other kids. I never got along and would always get into fights. But then I met her. She was the first person who ever truly accepted me. We became friends and would do everything together."

"What was her name?" Lenalee asks.

"Raven." She answers.

"Raven and Robin." Kanda muses. Robin rolls her eyes.

"I know, I know." She says. "Raven and Robin. We're both named after birds. Can we please move on?" Kanda shrugs and motions for her to continue.

"As you've probably guessed Raven played the violin. Whenever I had a bad day she used to show me how to play. I remember she had a notebook filled with sheet music and she would stay up all night and play song after song until I fell asleep." Robin smiles, lost in the memory.

"But," She says, her eyes darkening. "Despite it all, happiness always has a way of fading."

"What happened?" Lenalee asks.

"I had a bad day." She says. "A kid shoved me onto the ground while I was playing and I got into another fight. The couple in charge threatened to kick me out if I continued to act out. Raven, of course, understood and she played me a melody to calm me down. It worked and I was about to fall asleep when she suddenly stopped and handed me the violin. I was happy, because it wasn't often that I had a chance to play. I asked her which song she wanted to hear and she said 'Anyone you want.' She had given me her violin. She said that whenever someone made me sad or angry, I was to pull out the violin and play them a song. She was always like that. I was going to practice everyday and make the couple love my playing so much I could stay there."

Robin glances down at the instrument and a tear slips and falls onto the strings.

"But I woke up." She says wiping her eyes. "And Raven was gone. Her body was on the ground right in front of my bed. She was so cold and I panicked when she wouldn't move. The police came later and announced that she was dead. I ran away from the orphanage after that. I didn't have anything other than the violin and I made sure to keep it by my side at all times. It isn't worth much really, but I value it more than my life. This violin is all I have left of her."

"You've had such a hard life." Lenalee says. Robin wipes away her tears and gives Lenalee a smile.

"It was hard." Robin says. "But Raven always used to say that hardships are just ways to become stronger. I'm stronger now than I was before. Years later my innocence activated for the first time and Master Cross found me. Training with Master was hell, but if it wasn't for him I would have never become an exorcist and joined the Black Order. As horrible as he is, I'm grateful because I was able to meet everyone."

"Everyone in the Order is a part of my family." Lenalee says. "And that includes you Robin. I don't know what I would do without you guys."

"I like the Order." Robin says, looking toward the water. "Everyone is so nice. For the first time I feel like I'm home." Lenalee smiles and gives her a squeeze.

"And I absolutely love Jerry's cooking." Robin adds with a coinciding grumble from her stomach. Lenalee giggles and Robin blushes.

"You're so cute Robin!" She says. "I could just kiss you!" Kanda's expression darkens.

"Don't get any ideas." Kanda warns, pulling Robin close. "Doe-Eyes is all mine."

"Really?" Robin asks. "We're back to Doe-Eyes?"

"You two haven't even kissed!" Lenalee counters, ignoring Robin and tugging on her other arm.

"How do you know that?" He asks.

"I have connections." She says. "If you don't hurry up I might just steal him away."

"Yeah, right." Kanda says, pulling Robin away from the pigtailed girl. "Robin likes me."

"Robin can change his mind." Lenalee says. His grip on Robin's arm tightens.

"Robin is losing feeling in his arms." Robin says interrupting the duo's glaring contest. "You know, if anyone actually cares."

"Tell her." Kanda says without lowering his death stare. She rolls her eyes.

"Isn't this a bit childish?" Robin asks. Kanda's eyes bore their way into her skull and she sighs.

"Lenalee," She says. "Sorry, but I like Kanda. Don't take it the wrong way, but I just can't date you."

"I thought so." Lenalee says. "I shouldn't have assumed that you'd swing both ways."

"Wait, what?"

Lenalee gives her a thin smile. "You're not into girls are you?" She asks.

"Honestly no." Robin says.

"It's too bad!" Lenalee says. "I had hoped you were bi like Kanda."

Robin blinks. She turns and stares at Kanda. He releases a low growl toward Lenalee.

"You're bi?" She asks. Kanda looks away.

"Obviously baka." He says. "That a problem?"

"No." She says. "I'm just surprised." A thought suddenly sneaks into her head and she turns to him. "Wait, does that mean you look at the others? Like more than just look?"

"Oh," He says with an evil smirk. "Like how you were 'just looking' at Moyashi and usagi?"

Robin blushes and Lenalee giggles happily. "Aren't those two adorable?!" She chirps. Robin allows a small smile.

"Allen is the cutest." She says, earning a glare from Kanda.

"Lavi is pretty cute too." Lenalee says, glancing at the red-head bickering with Daisya and Allen. "Though I think he'd look way better without the bandana." Kanda scoffs.

"See?!" Robin says pointing at Lenalee. "I'm not the only one who thinks so!" Kanda eye rolls and Lenalee giggles again.

"Okay." The pigtailed girl says sitting next to Robin. "Who is your favorite?"

"You already know that." Robin says leaning towards Kanda.

"Besides him." She says completely serious. "If you had never met Kanda, who else would you have gone for?"

"If I had never met Kanda I would have huddled in a corner and cried." Robin says.

"I'm being serious!" Lenalee says. Robin sighs, not at all enjoying where this conversation is headed. She glances at the scowling Kanda, then back to the pigtailed girl who's practically bursting with curiosity. She gives in.

"If Kanda had never existed I guess I would have fallen for Allen."

"I knew it!" Lenalee yells.

Kanda exhales a breath and calmly stands up. Confused by his reaction, she watches as he grabs Mugen and stalks over to the water. His jaw tightens and his eyes take on a cold, steely glare that lands directly on a head of white hair.

"Oh crap." Robin says, chasing after him. "Kanda! No killing or maiming!"

Lenalee sits, watching Robin hold back the furious Kanda and giggles. The still open violin case sits next to the pigtailed girl; abandoned and all but forgotten.

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**I finally got to introduce Raven. (Woot!) I'm not sure when the next update will be. I'm so easily distracted...But I'll keep on writing! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay! Next chapter!**

**I am slightly paranoid with these kinds of things, so I'd like to give a warning. It does get a little steamy between Robin and Kanda in this chapter. It's nothing outside a T rating and is only for part of the chapter. (No lemons!) I'm probably overreacting, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.**

**You have been warned. So without further ado, here's chapter 12! :)**

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"Did you have to hit me?" Kanda asks closing the door to room 105 behind him. He massages a bright red spot on the side of his face and frowns. Robin smirks, proud to have left a mark.

"Did you have to go into a fit of blind rage?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. Kanda "ches" and walks over to the bathroom.

Room 105 is a large, comfy room on the mansion's top floor. The mansion itself is a dwarfing complex with five stories that overhang the edge of the bluff. There has to be at least a hundred rooms and out of all of them their room is one of most elaborate. Plastered onto the walls is royal red colored wallpaper garnished with gold designs. Off to the side is the bathroom which Robin suspects is as large as the room itself. In the center is a huge king sized bed, draped in red bed covers. She and Kanda have to share a bed. That'll be interesting.

Behind the bed are curtains that if pulled away, as Robin found out when they first arrived, a huge open balcony leads outside. Because of the way the mansion sits on the bluff the balcony hangs directly over the edge. All it takes is one jump and she would plummet into the ocean. She remembers Master Cross's warning about the widow who fell to her death. Is this where she jumped? Robin shivers.

Robin places her violin case underneath the bed so it's hidden from sight. She does not want Cross coming in and stealing it again. The one downside to their room, and it is the only real downside, is that the generals are staying in the rooms next to them. The top floor is where the most luxurious lodgings are and being generals the rooms were specifically reserved for them. Their room originally belonged to General Socalo but seeing how he never came, she and Kanda got upgraded. She doesn't mind, except that it means Master Cross is right down the hall from them.

The bathroom door opens and Kanda strolls out. Robin walks around the room and pretends to be interested in a painting by the room's door. Kanda raises an eyebrow at her and sprawls onto the bed.

"Not bad." He says glancing around the room. "There's even a hot tub."

"Really?" Robin asks, looking toward the bathroom door.

"We should check it out later." He says.

"I thought you hated water with a fiery, undying passion." She says.

"A hot tub is different." Kanda answers. She nods and looks around the room without focusing on any one particular detail. Kanda rolls onto his stomach and stares at her amused.

"Are you going to stand by the door all night?" He asks. Robin flinches. Heat rushes to her cheeks and she stares down at her feet.

"Sorry." She says. "I just feel kind of awkward."

"Why?" He asks.

"Guess." She motions to the bed and he smirks.

"I don't bite." He says.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Well, only if you want me to." He says.

Robin turns completely red. She peeks over at him lying on the bed with his lustful eyes looking straight at her. She feels a trickle of liquid and runs into the bathroom. She presses a handful of tissues to her nosebleed, now in a full-on gush. She knew this was going to happen. She silently curses herself for being such an idiot.

"You okay?" Kanda asks concern in his voice.

"If I die of blood loss, I'm blaming you." She says. Kanda looks at her standing by the bathroom door and, seeing the tissues, smirks.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asks.

"For the sake of my nose, I'm hoping nothing too steamy." She says.

He pauses, thoughtful.

"_Right?_"

"It's tempting." He says and more blood shoots out of her nose.

"Crap!" She says. Kanda's brow furrows.

"Sit down before you pass out baka." He pats the spot on the bed next to him.

"No way."

"You don't trust me?" He asks.

"I trust you." She pauses. "I think."

Kanda sighs and gets up, moving closer to her. He places a hand around her waist and another against her face, brushing away a strand of hair.

"See?" He says. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know that." She says. Her nosebleed starts to calm down and she pulls the soaked tissues away and replaces them with new ones. "Besides, I'd kick your ass if you tried anything."

He rubs the side of his face and scowls. "Yeah, I know." He says. "So why are you so afraid?"

"I'm not afraid." She says. "I'm just...awkward."

"I had no idea." He says and Robin pouts. She wipes the remaining blood from her nose and throws the tissues away.

"I blame you." She says. "Stop being so damn attractive."

"You know," He says. "I could actually try to give you a nosebleed."

"Sadist."

He chuckles and she sticks her tongue out at him.

"It is very tempting." He says, suddenly serious. "But I won't. I've already decided I'm going to wait for you."

She pauses. "Promise?" She asks.

"I promise."

A soft smile spreads across her lips. She gently places her hand against his chest, right where his tattoo should be. Kanda's eyes soften at her touch and she feels her heart thump in her chest. Kanda's arms wrap around her back and she buries her head into his chest.

"Thank you." She whispers.

Suddenly there's a loud crash and she jumps as the doors to the balcony fly open. The curtains wipe around in a violent gust of wind. Kanda struggles against the fabric and manages to shut the doors.

"A storm?" He asks, glancing outside.

"Ouch." The side of her face stings and she places a hand to her cheek, feeling the outline of a cut.

"What did you do?" Kanda asks his brow furrowed.

"Nothing." She says. She pulls away her hand and shows him the cut. "Is it bleeding?"

"Yeah." He says. He shakes his head. "What is it with you and blood today?"

"I'm not exactly enjoying it." She says. "At least it's just a scratch. Besides," The skin around her face starts to hiss and she groans as the wound slowly closes shut and disappears like it was never there.

"You can heal yourself?" Kanda asks, surprised.

"Thanks to my innocence." She says, rubbing the side of her face. "As I got better at using my innocence, my body started healing all by itself. Wounds hurt like hell, but it doesn't last long."

"How did you cut yourself?" He asks.

"I don't know. Maybe it was a ghost. This room is supposedly haunted."

"Ghosts don't exist baka." He says.

"Don't say that!" She says. "You'll hurt their feelings."

Kanda rolls his eyes. "Just go to bed." He says, throwing the covers over himself. Robin walks over and flicks off the lights. Before joining him, she stops, glancing over at the bed. Kanda watches her from where he lies and she feels her heart skip a beat.

"Hey," She says. "Can you-?"

"Yeah, yeah." He says, shutting his eyes. "I won't look."

Robin sighs and makes her way over to his side. She crawls onto the bed and pulls the blankets over herself, lying down so she faces Kanda.

"You can open them now." She says. His eyes flicker open and stare right into hers.

"I still don't see why you insist on that." He says.

"If you stare at me when I crawl into bed with you, I'll lose my ability to stand." She answers.

He smirks and she nuzzles his chest. He's so warm. His arms envelope her and she instantly feels her eyelids droop. She blinks trying to stay awake just a little longer, but the need to sleep overcomes her and her eyes slowly drift shut.

"Good night." She says through a yawn.

"Good night Robin." He whispers back.

* * *

**Later that night...**

There's a loud crash from outside and Robin jolts awake.

"What the-?"

There's another loud boom, followed by a crackle of lightning that illuminates the sky for one one-thousandth of a second. As the light fades, the room is swallowed by an eerie silence as rain pelts against the side of the mansion. Robin exhales a breath. It's only a storm.

A strong, warm hand rests on her shoulder and she turns to face Kanda. His hair is free and his chest is bare. She smiles to herself. So he did take his shirt off before bed.

"Sorry." She says. "Did I wake you?"

His lips purse and he silently places a hand against her cheek.

"No." He answers in a low voice. His eyes gaze into hers and he moves his hand down to her neck. She shivers as electricity shoots down her spine. She had no idea her neck could be so sensitive. He pulls her closer and she places a hand over his tattoo, tracing the outline with her fingers.

"Hey," She says, looking up into his face. "What does the symbol mean?" He's silent as he studies her face. Robin figured he never really enjoyed talking, but he's strangely quiet, even for him.

"Kanda?" She asks worried. "Hey, are you okay?"

His hands tighten around her and he suddenly pushes her onto her back, knocking the air out of her lungs. Robin gasps as he leans over her, his eyes hungry.

"K-Kanda?" She asks. He straddles her, his hair falling down onto her face. Robin's heart races and she tries to squirm free, but he holds her down, pressing her body against the bed.

"Okay, this isn't funny anymore." She says, panicking. Her heart beats faster. She can hear the blood pounding in her head and he leans closer. His lips brush against her neck and she shudders. They're warm and rough, the edges nipping the sensitive area of skin.

"S-stop!" She yells, trying to pull away. "I don't want to."

His hands migrate lower and she blushes.

"I said stop!" She yells louder, pushing his chest away. His grip on her tightens.

"Robin."

"Stop!" She yells. A hand frees itself and she lands a blow to his face. She hears a sickening crack, but ignores it. Her legs go free and she pulls him off. Kanda reaches for her again and she knees him in the groin. He groans and she crawls away from the bed.

"Robin." He says louder.

"Get away from me!" She yells at the top of her lungs. She feels his arms wrap themselves around her again and she screams as loud as she can. She scratches and bites at them, but they hold her steady.

"Robin!"

"Don't touch me!"

"ROBIN!"

Her eyes blink open and she stares into Kanda's frantic eyes. The first thing she notices is she's wet. She and Kanda are soaked to the bone and she shivers with cold. She glances around and realizes where she is. She's on the balcony. It's pouring outside.

"Robin?" Kanda asks his voice tense. He has her pinned down on the balcony floor with her hands over her head so she can't escape. She screams again and tries to kick him off.

"Calm down." He says.

"Let me go!" She yells. "Rapist!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" He yells.

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm trying to keep you from jumping baka!" He yells.

"Why the hell would I do that?!" She yells. Kanda gives her a stern look and she glares at him. He releases his grip suddenly and she shoves him aside. She wasn't too sure how they ended up on the balcony but she doesn't care. She rips open the balcony door and makes for the room's exit.

"Robin!" Kanda yells. He grabs her wrist and she flinches.

"DON'T. TOUCH. ME." She growls.

She glares at him with as much hatred as she can manage. Kanda's eyes harden.

"You tried to jump." He says.

"You tried to rape me!"

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What?!" He asks.

"Don't play dumb!" She growls.

"I'm not!" He yells.

"Don't lie!"

"I'M NOT!" He yells. She looks away in disgust. Robin takes a deep breath in an attempt to tame her anger. It fails.

"Robin!" He yells. He places both arms on either of her shoulders and forces her eyes to reach his. "I don't know what you think happened, but I would never do that!" He says. "Believe me."

She shakes her head and pulls away. He doesn't budge. She struggles against him and when his grip around her becomes tighter; she raises a fist and lands another blow to his jaw. Kanda is knocked back. She sees a trickle of blood run down the side of his mouth, but doesn't care. She runs for the door and Kanda lets her go, the door slamming shut behind her.

* * *

**I (surprising) have the next chapter already written. (Woo! I'm on a roll!) Please keep reading and review! I am also looking for a beta reader, if anyone would be willing. I want to get better at writing so I definitely welcome any tips or criticism. If you are willing to be a beta reader please send me a message! Thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is the same scene from chapter 12 but in Kanda's perspective. It's shorter than I usually go for, but I felt like it deserved its own chapter.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I hope you're still enjoying the story!**

* * *

The sunlight slowly fades into darkness. Kanda peers down at the sleeping body currently curled up against his chest. Robin's breathing is slow and calm, confirming that she is in fact asleep. He allows himself to smile. Her face looks so peaceful. He restraints himself from pulling her closer. He doesn't want to accidentally wake her.

Outside the rain crashes against the mansion. Kanda focuses on the sound of the storm. There's a flash of lightning from the window. One...two...three...four...There's a loud crash of thunder. The time is getting shorter, Kanda muses. The storm must be getting closer.

Robin suddenly shifts and he turns his attention to her. She peeks up at him with her large, caramel eyes. He places a hand against the soft surface of her face.

"Did I wake you?" He asks.

She shakes her head. Her eyes gaze into his eyes and she places her own hand on top of his. He leans closer so his lips barely touch. Suddenly she pulls away. Confused, he watches her slip out of the covers and stand over by the bed. She faces the window, silently watching the rain fall against the balcony doors. She stays like that, eerily quiet.

"What's wrong?" Kanda asks. Okay, so he admits sometimes he wants her to stop talking every now and then and just let him meditate in peace, but for some reason this doesn't seem right. Robin shouldn't be _this_ quiet.

"Robin?" He asks. She takes a step forward and unlatches the balcony door.

"It's pouring outside baka." He says, but she doesn't hear him and steps out into the rain. Kanda rips the blankets off him and follows her.

The rain hurls itself on them. The wind wipes up his long hair and he silently curses himself for leaving it free. Robin stops at the balcony edge, staring straight ahead at the ocean.

This is wrong, Kanda thinks. Something isn't right. He tries to pinpoint it, but can't quite put his finger on it. He moves to her side. She doesn't shift and stares down at the drop before her. Something in her eyes shifts and she grabs hold of the railing to pull herself over.

"Robin?" He asks. He pulls her away from the edge and stares straight into her eyes. They're blank and she doesn't seem to recognize him. Kanda suddenly remembers Cross' warning.

"_There are records of visitors who have received injuries from staying in that room. Some have even reported suddenly attempting to commit suicide and have died as a result. One report said that one visitor lost all control of her body and she threw herself over the edge just like Elizabeth."_

He mentally kicks himself for being so careless. Is whatever was affecting the other visitors affecting Robin? Kanda grabs hold of her and pulls her toward the room. Her body starts to panic and she struggles against him.

"Robin." He says, trying to calm her down. Dammit. The rain makes it difficult to keep his grip and he feels her slip free and run for the railing. He reaches for her from behind and wraps his arms around her trying to pull her away. If he could just get her away from the balcony...

A hand frees itself and she lands a blow to his face. He sees spots as pain shoots across his jaw. Robin is small but Kanda knows she's strong. She is, after all, able to keep up with him on missions and hold him back when he loses his temper. She pulls away from him and Kanda reaches for her again only to have her knee him in the groin. He groans. That little...If it was anyone other than Robin they would already be dead, sliced into bloody chunks with Mugen.

Kanda ignores the pain and grabs for her again. "Robin." He says louder. She lets out a loud scream and struggles against him in a frenzy. She scratches and bites at him, but Kanda merely smirks. He's done holding back. He shoves her onto the balcony floor and twists her arms above her head.

"Robin!" He yells.

She screams her head off and thrashes against him. Kanda grits his teeth and pushes her down. Hopefully she won't bite her tongue. Suddenly the thrashing stops. Robin lays underneath him motionless.

"Robin?" He whispers. He places a hand to her cheek. Her face is cold. She stays completely still and Kanda feels his heart race.

"ROBIN!" He yells.

She shifts and her eyelids slowly flicker open. He sees the familiarity in her eyes and relief washes over him. She glances around them confused, then focuses on him.

"Robin?" Kanda asks unsure. He has to make sure Robin is herself and won't make a break for the railing as soon as he lets her go. She sees him and suddenly screams again and tries to kick him off.

"Calm down." He says.

"Let me go!" She yells. "Rapist!"

Rapist?

"What the hell are you talking about?!" He yells.

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm trying to keep you from jumping baka!" He yells.

"Why the hell would I do that?!" She yells.

She doesn't remember? He stares directly into her eyes. She isn't lying. He lets her go and she shoves him aside. She rips open the balcony door in a frenzy and makes for the room's exit. Kanda follows. He can't be sure she won't try again as soon as she gets out of his sight.

"Robin!" Kanda yells. He grabs her wrist trying to get her to stop. He feels her flinch and she turns to face him.

"DON'T. TOUCH. ME." She growls.

She glares at him. Her eyes radiate hatred and he feels his temper slip. Kanda clenches his jaw tight. Her hate burns, but Kanda blocks it out, trying his best to remain calm.

"You tried to jump." He says, hoping she'll see reason.

"You tried to rape me!"

"What?!" He asks confused.

"Don't play dumb!" She growls.

"I'm not!" He yells.

"Don't lie!"

"I'M NOT!" He yells. He wasn't. She looks away in disgust. He watches Robin exhale a breath.

"Robin!" He yells. He places both arms on either of her shoulders and forces her eyes to reach his. "I don't know what you think happened, but I would never do that!" He says. "Believe me." He has to make her believe him.

She shakes her head and pulls away. He doesn't budge. There's no way he's letting her go after she just tried to jump of the bluff. He needs to get her to calm down and take her to Cross. The general has to know something. She struggles against him. His grip tightens and she suddenly raises a fist and lands another blow to his jaw, knocking Kanda back.

If there is any doubt of Robin's strength, it evaporates into thin air as a trickle of blood runs down the side of his mouth. She runs for the door and it slams shut, leaving Kanda alone. He hesitates before getting up and running after her. Despite the storm and what had just happened, Kanda can only focus on one, single coherent thought.

Before she left, Robin was trembling.

* * *

**If you recall, I asked about any strange and unexplained phenomena way back in chapter 9. Thank you for everyone who replied! :) I enjoyed reading them.**

**Since this chapter is kind of short I figured I'd enthrall you all with my own encounter of the paranormal kind.**

**I was on a day-long field trip to Salem, Massachusetts, commonly known as the location of the Salem Witch Trials where 19 innocent people were hung to death for allegedly participating in witchcraft. It was the week of Halloween and my class had just finished **_**The Crucible**_**. (By the way, Salem during Halloween is just plain fun.)**

**The sun had gone down and my teacher let us visit the town's graveyard to try to catch anything on camera. (Orbs, apparitions, etc.) The only rule was that we had to be respectful and ask before taking any pictures. Yes, she wanted us to ask (out loud) to any present spirits before we so much as pull out a camera. (I love my teacher.)**

**My friend and I took the back corner of the graveyard. We both asked as politely as we could if we could take any pictures. Seeing how there was no real way for them to respond we assumed it was a yes unless they gave us a sign otherwise.**

**I started snapping pictures when the camera blinked and suddenly turned off. I swapped the batteries with new ones and even double and quadrupled checked that they were in the right way. The camera refused to turn on so we gave up and went to join the rest of our class.**

**We had only gone three feet when out of nowhere the camera blinked to life. My friend and I stopped and turned around to look at the area we were before. The wind blew all ominous-like and we both broke out into profuse apologies and ran to the bus.**

**I ended up having pictures covered with strange white orbs that only appeared once we took the pictures. I still have them too. I feel like it's enough evidence to support the existence of ghosts. But, hey, I'm biased.**

**Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story! I'll try to update soon. Feel free to leave a review or send me one of those private message things. I love hearing from you guys! :) Thank you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay Chapter 14 is done! Thank you so much to author12306 for beta reading! THANK YOUUUU! :) And thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, favorite-ing, and following the story! **

**I hope you're still enjoying the story and please leave me a review to let me know what you think!**

* * *

Kanda throws open the room's door and walks straight into the end of a revolver. The gun presses against the middle of his forehead and Kanda freezes.

"You had one role." A gruff voice mutters. Blood red eyes burn into his and Kanda growls.

"Move it!" Kanda yells. The general grabs a fistful of the exorcist's jacket and shoves him into the room opposite them. The lock clicks behind them and Kanda glances around. Cross' room is nearly identical to theirs; the only difference being an opened bottle of wine sitting on the table in front of them. Kanda's eyes flash with anger, but Cross merely continues to point Judgment at him.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a man." Cross says. "All you had to do was keep an eye on her, but you couldn't even do that."

"Shut up!" He growls, twitching with anger. "I don't have time for this! I have to find Robin!"

"She's gone." Cross answers. "Her body is taken over with the miasma. She won't even recognize you now."

"Miasma?"

Cross sighs and lowers his weapon.

"Tell me." Kanda says. "What do know about what's happening?"

"This mansion belonged to a couple soon to be wed." Cross says. "They were lovers and dreamed of spending eternity together. However, the man was drafted into a war for another country. Years went by, when one day news returned to the man's fiancé. He had died in the crossfire. The woman went into a fit of insanity and threw herself over the bluff. She landed into the ocean and died."

"Elizabeth Crowley." Kanda says. Cross nods.

"The one problem was that the man wasn't actually dead." He says. "He was wounded but managed to survive, returning only to find that his love had already perished. He collapsed with grief at his loss. You can guess what happened next."

"The Millennium Earl." Kanda says. "So this is the work of an akuma?"

"You catch on quick pretty-boy." Cross says and Kanda scowls. "Yes, it's an akuma. It has the ability to cause its victims to enter a state of madness. They're unable to determine what is real and what is a conjured up illusion. It's most likely a poison entered through the bloodstream that interferes with the senses. Of course, it only affects women."

Kanda's eyes narrow.

"You knew all this and you still allowed Robin to stay in that room?!" He yells.

"It was necessary to lure it out of hiding." Cross says. Kanda suddenly grabs the general and shoves him against the wall. He glares at the red-haired demon, shaking with anger.

"Bastard!" He yells.

"It had to be done." Cross says, emotionless. "It's not like I could have used Lenalee or Miranda."

"Oh?" Kanda asks seething with anger. "And why is that?"

"She may target women, but it's only if a man is present. This akuma isn't just after women; it's targeting couples. Specifically lovers who can't bear to be apart." Kanda suddenly pulls away and stares at him. Cross merely brushes off his jacket.

"Don't look so surprised." Cross says. "I heard all about your relationship from Komui."

"Shut up." Kanda says. A pink tint runs across his face and he turns away hoping to hid it from the general.

"I had hoped Robin's innocence would have been able to neutralize the miasma by itself." Cross continues. "Worst case, I figured you would be able to keep her at bay. Turns out you truly are useless." His fists tighten.

"It's not like she's some weakling!" Kanda yells.

"No, she's not." Cross says. He walks over and scoops up the bottle of wine. He inhales a long gulp and casually strolls over to the balcony. Kanda follows unsure. The rain had ceased for the time being and a slight glow begins to peek up from the horizon.

"It would be best that she's found by someone who knows about her situation." He says with a glance to Kanda. "Someone important may discover her secret if we're not careful. For now, I'll leave her in your care."

"Right." Kanda mutters. He turns to leave when Cross stops him.

Cross suddenly places a hand behind the samurai's back and shoves him face-first over the balcony's edge. Kanda is taken by surprise and falls down the five stories, landing on top of a huge bush. A vein pops out of Kanda's head and he death glares Cross, who merely raises his glass of wine in a toast.

He really hates that general.

* * *

Robin takes a deep breath and attempts to steady herself. She's already reached the beach. The rain was starting to die down and the sun was starting to rise in the east. She's grateful for the visibility but it does little to console the fear gnawing through her insides. She can't understand this feeling. Kanda's sudden actions frightened her and she fled on impulse, but he wasn't around anymore. Her heart shouldn't be racing so fast right now. Not when she's all by herself.

There are footsteps behind her and she whips around. Kanda stands behind her, Mugen drawn and his eyes cold. Robin feels her heart tighten and she takes a step back away from him.

"Kanda!" She yells. He's silent. The end of his blade points directly at her. The metallic edge flashes and she gulps. His mouth curls into an evil grin.

"Time to pay." He growls. He disappears into thin air. She glances wildly in all directions and he appears directly in front of her. Robin cringes and a searing pain rips through the center of her body. Warm red liquid pours from the wound and she feels her head become lighter. Kanda digs the katana into her flesh and she releases a scream as new pain pulses across her body.

"KANDA!"

The world around her turns black and her body becomes numb.

* * *

Kanda sees a figure stand alone along the shore of the beach. He rushes over to her side. Her eyes have the same glossed over look and she doesn't react from his presence. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he spots a shadow dart out and he reaches for Mugen.

"Show yourself akuma." Kanda says.

A man dressed in a fine tailored suit walks over to them. The man's eyes are wide and his mouth is twisted into a toothy grin. A low chuckle escapes from him and his body distorts. The man's skin is pulled away, replaced by scales and long black claws. A head of tangled hair falls to the akuma's back.

"An exorcist eh?" The akuma asks in a high-pitched voice.

"So you're the akuma responsible for this?" Kanda asks. The akuma chuckles.

"All it took was a scratch." It says. "My miasma is spread throughout her body. She's mine now. Perhaps you'd like a demonstration?"

The akuma's eyes glow and Robin suddenly falls onto her knees and screams. She grabs the area around her chest and her body is raked with tremors. He goes to help her when the akuma jumps from its perch and strikes with one of its claws. Kanda raises Mugen and blocks just in time. The akuma laughs.

"Love is a strange emotion, isn't it?" It says, sneering. "Even the most cold-hearted exorcist has someone precious to them. Someone they'd never raise a hand against. All it takes is to find out who that one person is and I own them."

Arms wrap themselves around him and he grunts. Robin presses her lips to the back of his neck. The warm tip of her tongue glide across his skin and shivers run up and down his spine. The akuma's huge claws dig their way into Kanda's skin and he groans in pain.

"Snap out of it!" He yells, pushing Robin aside.

"Ah, ah, ah." The akuma says. Robin screams again and topples over in pain. He flinches and the akuma uses the chance to attack and slashes at his back.

"Dammit." Kanda growls. Robin lets out one last cry and she goes still. "Robin!" Kanda yells, gripping Mugen.

"Looks like playtime is over." The akuma says moving closer to her. It raises its huge claw over Robin and smirks. "Die!"

Robin's eyes suddenly snap open. A cloud of sand is whipped up and the akuma is knocked back.

"You stupid fucking bitch!" A voice yells.

The sand clears and Robin stands over Kanda scowling. Her hair is pitch-black and her large caramel colored eyes are replaced with dark violet ones.

"How dare you hurt Robin!" She yells, snarling at the akuma.

"Dumb girl!" The akuma hisses. "Die already!" It lunges at her and the girl jumps and knees the demon in the face.

"Come on!" She yells in frustration. She glances down at her hands. "I'm trying to save Robin! Activate already!" She grits her teeth in pain and two pure black wings rip out of her back. Glittering black feathers cover her wings like armor. She spreads them out to either side and the very ends point into razor sharp knives.

"Hey Ponytail!" She says, glancing at Kanda. "Do me a favor and don't get in my way. Got that?"

Kanda scoffs and points Mugen at the girl's throat. She had the same face and body as Robin but there is no way this girl in front of him is her.

"Who the hell are you?" He growls. "What did you do to Robin?" Her violet eyes narrow.

"How do you know Robin?" She asks.

"Answer my question!" He yells. She smirks and stares at him.

"Or what?" She asks. "You'll kill me? Do that and Robin dies right along with me. Now answer me: how do you know Robin? Are you a friend? Foe? Depending on your answer I may have to kill you."

"I'm not an enemy." He says. "Now tell me who you are." She smirks.

"So she hasn't told you yet?" She says. "Ouch. Me and little miss angel will have to have a very stern conversation when this is over."

The akuma, who has been patiently waiting for an opening, suddenly lunges at them. The girl flies up and Kanda jumps back just in time to escape the akuma's claws. The wounds along his back already stopped bleeding and he activates Mugen. The katana glows and he slices off the demon's left arm. It screeches in pain and the girl tucks in her wings and falls to the earth using the force of gravity to strengthen the attack. The akuma suddenly chuckles and its head twists to form a large barreled gun. The akuma fires and the girl tumbles out of the air.

"I got one!" The akuma yells in glee. "I got one!"

Before she reaches the ground, the girl's body suddenly dissipates into fragments of dark, purple light.

"What?" The akuma asks.

The sharpened edges rip through the akuma from behind and it screams.

"You're not the only one capable of illusions." The girl mutters before slicing the akuma's body in half. The demon's body explodes in a blast of fire and sand.

"That was fun." She says with a huge grin. The girl observes her handiwork and nods with approval. Kanda shifts behind her and the edge of Mugen is replaced at her throat. She sighs.

"You're certainly persistent."

"What happened to Robin?" He asks.

"She's perfectly fine." The girl answers. "The miasma is slowly being neutralized as we speak. Now that the akuma is dead she should be back to normal anytime now."

"And who are you?"

"I can't be all cool and mysterious if I just come out and tell you, now can I?"

The katana is pressed closer and she lets out a long sigh.

"You're no fun." She says with a pout. "Fine. I am the mysterious, awe-inspiring, super-cool...dun, dun, dun!" She smirks. "...Raven."

"You're Raven?" He asks. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Hence the mystery." Raven says with a grin. "I guess I'll be going now. You're no fun at all." She winks and gives him a wave. "See ya!" Raven's short black hair lightens into its normal brown hue. Her limbs go slack and her body collapses on the sand. Suddenly bright golden eyes snap open and she sits up gasping for breath.

"Crap!" Robin yells. She glances around and her brow furrows with confusion. "How the hell did I end up here?"

"Robin?" Kanda asks raising an eyebrow toward her.

"Kanda!" She squeaks inching away from him. Something clicks in her head and her face flushes. "Don't tell me you-"

"Shut up." He says. "While you were off in illusion-land I had to take care of the akuma."

"Akuma?" She asks. "Wait, illusions?"

"It used a poison to mess with your mind." Kanda says. "I'm not sure what you saw but it was all an illusion that the akuma used to control your body. I had to stop you from hurling yourself into the ocean."

"It wasn't real?" She asks. "So then you didn't actually..." She pauses, then releases a long breath of relief. "Oh thank you lord." Kanda's fist slams into her skull and she yelps in pain.

"What was that for?!" She yells.

"It may have been an illusion for you, but I was the one who had to fend against your gorilla strength! I broke my jaw thanks to you!"

"I hit you?!" She yells. "Oh geez! Are you okay?! Let me see! Oh my God! You're all bloody!" She runs a hand over the long claw marks across his chest from his fight with the akuma. Kanda's eyes soften despite his growing irritation.

"I'm fine." He says. "I heal faster than most others." Even as he speaks, Robin watches the wounds start to close and heal. She gives him a small smile.

"So I guess you're like me." She says. "I can heal them myself if you want. It'll probably be faster that way."

"It's not necessary." He says and she shrugs.

"I'm sorry." She says. Her eyes fall. "If I'd known, I would have never hit you." She shakes her head. "I'm such an idiot! I'm so so sorry!"

"Hey." He says. He raises her chin so she meets his eyes. "It's not your fault. You were poisoned and obviously terrified."

"It was scary." She admits. She shakes her head trying to get the illusions out of her mind.

Kanda wraps his arms around her and their lips drift closer. Robin closes her eyes and the warmth from his breath falls onto her mouth. Out of nowhere a huge wave rises from the ocean and crashes over the two of them. Robin gags on the seawater burning her lungs and stares up at a drenched Kanda. A vein on his forehead looks ready to burst and he shakes with anger.

"Every single freaking time." He seethes.

"It's the curse." She says with a smile. Kanda's jaw clenches.

"You know what?" He growls. "Fine! It's a damn curse! I admit it!"

Robin smiles then brings her lips to his mouth. Her lips brush against the roughness of his and she stealthily glides her tongue across his bottom lip before pulling away. Kanda stares at her, taken off guard and heat flares to her cheeks.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" She says with an innocent grin. Before he can answer she scurries away toward the opposite side of the beach.

Night had already faded and a glowing orange orb of sunlight was rising from the east, erasing the night's previous fear. The water sparkles in the golden light in a rainbow of blues, reds, and greens. The sky is nearly clear with just a few leftover clouds dotting the edge of the horizon. She stares at the sunrise and a strange warmth flutters up into her heart.

"It's beautiful." Kanda says next to her. She nods.

"You're welcome." She says.

"Excuse me?"

"If I hadn't been poisoned and ran away in a fit of madness, we would have never seen this." She says.

"You know," He says. "We still have some vacation time. What do you want to do?" She thinks for a second.

"Sleep."

"Agreed." He says. They start heading back to the mansion; fingers interlocking as they walk side by side.

"So?" Kanda asks. "Rapist? Mind explaining that?"

Robin's face turns bright red. "I don't feel like that's necessary." She says, trying to wiggle free from his grasp. Kanda's eyes flash evilly and he smirks.

"Shall I make your illusions a reality?" He whispers into her ear. A fresh gush of blood squirts out of her nose and she grabs her face. Kanda laughs as her blush turns brighter.

"Evil." She mutters.

"You know you love it." He says. She smirks.

Yes, she thinks to herself. She certainly does.

* * *

**And now I have a second OC. Yay! :)  
**

**Okay, now this is incredibly important...I have a slight dilemma. With a new OC comes the problem of figuring out who to pair her with. I'm originally leaning towards Allen. The idea of him and Kanda having to share "Robin" is too good to pass up. However, I also love Lavi and his antics!  
**

**So, I am going to leave it up to democracy! :)Please, please review and pick a side. You can vote Allen or Lavi! If enough people ask, I might consider other characters. (So long as they're male. Sorry, I don't do Yuri.) The final decision won't be until a couple of chapters so please, please vote!  
**

**Thank you for reading! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay! One day and LaviXRaven is already winning! [I knew it! ;)] As I mentioned, you guys still have some time to continue voting. I've already written the next chapter and had it proof-read. (Thank you again author12306!) **

**So here's chapter 15! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! **

* * *

Robin's eyelids prop open and she squints at the sunlight falling through their window. She groans. Her head pulses with a deep painful throb. She rolls over in her sheets to get into a more comfortable position, when the bed gives way and she falls over the edge.

"Ow..." She moans from the floor.

The bed next to her shifts. Kanda blinks open his eyes and glances down at her. His long blue hair is tousled and wild.

"You alright?" He asks.

"No." She says. Her body feels like lead. Her muscles ache and her head weighs a ton. She tries to get up, but her body screams in protest.

"Can you stand?" Kanda asks.

"I don't want to." She says.

He stands up from the bed and joins her on the floor. She groans and forces her body to sit up so she's leaning against the bed next to him. Kanda's brow furrows with concern and he places an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm telling Komui." He says.

"No." She says. "You know what would happen if you do that."

For the last three days since returning from the beach her body's been complaining non-stop. She felt so exhausted, her body barely able to move. She only left her nest of sheets when she absolutely had to go to the bathroom or her stomach couldn't go another second without food. After the second day, Kanda wanted her to see Komui to make sure something wasn't wrong with her. She automatically stopped him. There's no way she can slip her secret past him during a health exam. She might as well rip her shirt off in the middle of the cafeteria.

"Robin." Kanda warns.

"They can't know." She says. "Komui will find out."

"Maybe it's for the best." He says.

"No!" She says. "Absolutely not!"

"You're sick." He says. He places a hand to her forehead. "You even have a fever."

"I don't care."

"Don't be an idiot." He says. "Your secret is worthless if you're dead."

"What do you think will happen if it's out?" She asks. "They aren't going to let me stay here anymore! I won't be able to stay with the Order! And I won't be able to be with you."

"You don't know that." He says.

"I'm not taking that chance." She says. "I'll be fine. I just need to rest."

Kanda helps her to her feet and she crawls back onto her bed. Ever since she fell ill Kanda made a point of sleeping with her from now on. She didn't complain. It wasn't like she had the energy to. She welcomed the warm body of heat at the time, even if he did take up most of the space.

Kanda tucks the blankets over her and she snuggles her head against the pillow. Her eyes droop and she yawns.

"I'm going to town." Kanda says, reaching for a shirt out of his dresser. "Is there anything you need while I'm out?"

"Strawberries." She murmurs and her eyes slowly shut. Kanda hears a faint snore and he smirks. Robin has a way of being adorable, even when she's exhausted. He's hesitant to leave her when she isn't feeling well, but maybe he can get her some medicine that will make her feel better. Kanda pulls the shirt over his head and places Mugen over his shoulder. He glances at Robin's flushed, sleeping form.

She's been like this ever since the night at the beach when that girl took over her body. Her hair turned black and her eyes were violet. She called herself Raven. Was she the same Raven Robin mentioned before? If so, how could she be alive and how could she control Robin's body? Robin remembered nothing, other than the illusions the akuma conjured. He still hadn't told her. He isn't completely sure of it himself and doesn't want to say anything to Robin until he is. All he knows is that if Raven shows herself again, he'll make sure to get answers out of her.

Kanda glances one last time at Robin then closes the door behind him.

* * *

Raven's eyes snap open and she sits up in the bed. Her short black hair clings to her face and she stretches her arms over her head. So she's back in Robin's body again.

She glances around the room. Raven notes the other bed and second dresser with interest. Robin has a roommate. That can be either an amazing stroke of luck or a worst nightmare. The roommate appears to be gone for the time being so she takes the time to examine the rest of the room. She climbs off of the bed and walks over to the dresser furthest from her.

Time to figure out what this roommate of hers is like.

Raven gingerly slides open the first drawer and pulls out a pair of black boxers.

"A man?" Raven asks out-loud. "That little goody-two-shoes is rooming with a man?"

She's impressed to say the least.

She replaces the underwear and swings over to Robin's dresser. She shuffles through the piles of pants and button-down shirts and frowns. She checks the tag of one shirt and groans.

_Men's clothes? Don't tell me..._

Raven rips off her shirt and runs a hand over the wrap tightened around her breasts. She rolls her eyes. So Robin's still playing this game?

Raven can't say she's surprised. Robin always used to dress like a boy back when they were at the orphanage. Raven tried her best to get the girl to wear actual girl's clothes, but Robin's stubborn. In hindsight, a trait she probably learned from herself, Raven muses.

She sighs. Men's clothes just won't do. She strolls into the bathroom and changes into a new pair of pants and a white button-down shirt. She pauses when she gets a glance at herself in the mirror. Robin's short hair is pitch-black and Raven still has her normal deep violet eyes. Raven concentrates and her hair turns light brown and she has the same golden hued eyes as Robin. Raven smirks, examining her disguise. Sometimes she absolutely loves her illusion ability.

Raven leaves the bathroom and grabs Robin's wallet off of the dresser. She closes the door behind her and starts to head toward the nearest town.

* * *

Kanda walks along the street. It's a warm, sunny day and the town is bustling. People walk past him cheerfully going about their day. Kanda ignores them and focuses on finding the nearest store. He wants to get what he came for and get back to Robin as quickly as he can.

"Hey Kanda!" A voice yells from behind him. Kanda scowls, recognizing the voice.

"I'm not in the mood moyashi." He growls. Allen rushes over to him all out of breath.

"My name is Allen!" He yells. "All-en! Anyways, have you seen Lavi?"

"No." Kanda says, beginning to walk away.

"Oh wait!" Allen says. "I was helping him with his shopping and the maniac ran off somewhere. Do you mind looking for him?"

"Why would I willingly search for that baka?" Kanda asks. "Besides, I'm busy."

"What are you doing?" Allen asks.

"I'm getting medicine for Robin."

"Is he still not feeling well?" Allen asks concern in his eyes. "The poor guy. He's been like that ever since we've returned from our vacation."

"He's got a pretty bad fever." Kanda says. "I'm hoping his body will fight off whatever it is."

"Mind if I help?" Allen asks.

"Yes." Kanda says. The two of them stop in front of a small market. Allen frowns at the samurai.

"I care about Robin too you know." Allen says.

"And I don't care." Kanda says, glaring at the white-headed boy. "Now leave me alone." He walks into the store and Allen follows, much to Kanda's annoyance. He ignores the boy and focuses on the back shelf where various medicines are kept.

"I still don't see how Robin can fall for someone as grumpy as you." Allen says.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous, moyashi." Kanda says. He holds up two bottles of cold medicine and carefully reads the back labels.

"Allen." He says. "And I'm not."

"Really?" Kanda asks. The labels don't look all too different, but just to be safe he'll buy both. He heads toward the food section and Allen follows.

"Robin is so kind and gentle." Allen says with a sigh. "I hope he's okay by himself. It would be bad if something happened to the cutie while he's alone." Kanda stops and glances at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Robin is a boy." Kanda says. Allen's face turns red.

"I know that!" He yells flustered. "It's not my fault he's so adorable!"

A vein pops out on Kanda's head and he restraints himself from whipping out Mugen and slicing the kid open. Instead he looks around the shop's produce. He spots a container of bright red strawberries and places them by the cashier.

"You like strawberries?" Allen asks, eyeing the container of fruit.

"They're for Robin." He answers. Allen blinks.

"You're getting strawberries for Robin?" He asks.

"They're his favorite." Kanda says. Allen just stares at him.

"What?" Kanda growls. "I can't get my boyfriend something he likes?"

Allen shakes his head. "Coming from you that just sounds wrong."

"Like you would know." Kanda says.

"I'd make an excellent boyfriend for Robin." Allen says. Kanda's jaw clenches and he releases a low growl toward the boy. Allen glares back.

"I would and you know it." Allen says.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Kanda growls. "Robin is a _boy._"

"I know that!" Allen says through his blush. "But I can't help it. I like him."

"Keep dreaming." Kanda says. "If you haven't noticed, Robin likes me baka."

"I don't know about that." Allen says and Kanda gives him a sharp glance. "He told me that he liked hanging out with me way more than you."

"Doubt it." Kanda says. He hands the cashier the money and stalks out of the store with the bag in his hands. Allen follows.

* * *

The streets are crowded. Raven strategically mingles with the bunches of people walking down the street. She dropped her disguise as soon as she left the Order. Better someone sees her instead of Robin. She's not too confident with her Robin impression. In one hand is a shopping bag carrying her previous purchase. Her mission is accomplished and now all that's left is to head back to the Order.

She's quite happy with what she picked out. Robin's roommate will probably get a kick out of it. She wonders who the mystery man is, and more importantly whether or not he's hot. Ponytail wasn't half bad. She's not really into long hair but he had a nice body. If he wasn't such a killjoy Raven probably wouldn't mind rooming with him and Robin. Probably.

"Robin?" A voice says from behind her. Raven turns around and a red-head with a green bandana and eye patch looks over at her expectantly. She smiles.

"Robin?" She repeats. "I'm afraid I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Oh I'm sorry." Lavi says sheepish. "I swear you look just like him. Then again your hair and eyes are different."

"Gee, thanks." She says.

"Huh?" Lavi asks.

"I do kind of look like a boy, don't I?" She says motioning to her clothes. Lavi blinks.

"Oh." Lavi says. He blushes. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She says. "So are you friends with this Robin?"

"Yeah." Lavi says. "He hasn't been feeling well recently."

"That's too bad." She says. A stranger walking along the road suddenly bumps into him and a scrap of paper slips out of his pants pocket.

"Oh, sorry." Lavi says. Raven smiles and reaches down to pick up the paper. Her eyes scan down the list and she smirks. Lavi chuckles and rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. It's a list of all the supplies he needed for his latest round of pranks.

"Thanks." Lavi says as she hands the list back.

"The hair-dye bit is a classic." She says. "I don't know who this Yuu character is, but I'd kill to see his face when he wakes up to fuchsia hair."

"Yeah." He says with a grin. "It'll be hilarious. By the way, my name is Lavi."

"Cool." She says. "I have to go, but it was fun meeting you." She turns back towards the direction of the Order. "Let's meet again sometime!" She says offering him a wave.

* * *

The two of them make their way back to the Order. Kanda heads toward his room and Allen follows him. There are a couple finders wandering around the hallways, but other than them the Order is surprisingly quiet.

"Stop following me, baka." Kanda growls to Allen behind him.

"Maybe I want to check on Robin." He says smugly. Kanda growls. Before he can reach for Mugen still strapped on his back, a manic red-head runs straight down the hallway, nearly knocking the bag out of Kanda's hands.

"Damn usagi!" Kanda yells.

"ALLEN! ALLEN!" Lavi yells. He grabs hold of Allen and gives him a squeeze.

"Lavi!" Allen yells. "What the-?"

"I just met the most amazing woman!" Lavi yells. "She's beautiful and smart and kind! Plus she knows how to pull one hell of a prank! I think I'm in love!"

"Good for you." Allen says prying off the red-head. "So what's her name?"

Lavi pauses. "You know, I'm not sure."

"Baka." Kanda says.

"Hey Yuu." Lavi says. "Mind giving me some love advice?"

"What did you call me?!" Kanda growls pointing Mugen towards the rabbit's throat. Lavi gulps. "Kanda." Kanda grunts and walks into his room alone, making sure to slam the door shut. He places the bag on the dresser and looks toward the bed. Robin is gone.

"Robin?" He calls. The bathroom door swings open and Raven steps out. Kanda's jaw drops.

She keeps up her Robin disguise, but instead she's wearing a short black miniskirt and red crop top that offers a small peek of her stomach. She skipped the wrap. Robin doesn't have much of a chest but there's nothing a good push-up bra can't fix. Raven had debated buying red lipstick but decided against it. Robin didn't need makeup. Raven did, however, pick out a nice tall pair of black stiletto heels with straps that wrap around her ankles. She has to admit, she's a bit disappointed the mysterious roommate is Ponytail. However, the show must go on.

"Hello there." Raven says with a smirk. Kanda's face is completely red.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone." He mutters. "Where did you even get those clothes?"

"Places." Raven says. "I am a girl after all." Kanda nods. There's no denying that.

"So?" Raven says taking a seat at the end of the bed. "Do you like what you see?" Kanda's eyes flash. Suddenly he pushes her down on the bed. Raven gasps as his strong hands pull hers over her head. Kanda leans over her with eyes filled with lust.

"Careful." He whispers. "Look like that and I might just ravish you on the spot."

Okay, Raven thinks, this plan backfired quickly. Raven chuckles, uneasy.

"Yeah, about that." She says. "That sounds like a lot of fun, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a rain-check. I'm not sure Robin will appreciate that right now."

"Wait." Kanda says. "Are you-?" She smiles.

"We meet again." She says. She uses Robin's strength to flip him over so she's on top. Kanda growls and she shoves his body against the bed. Raven has to admit, if Ponytail wasn't so pissed it would actually be kind of hot.

"Why do you look like Robin?!" He yells.

"Impressed?" She asks with a smile.

"Disgusted."

Raven pouts. "You really are no fun. I'm a master of illusions. Pretending to be Robin is child's play."

"What do you want?" He yells.

"I'm bored." She says. "Besides, it's not my fault the innocence swapped us out again."

"Wait," Kanda says. "The innocence is what's responsible for this?"

"That's my guess." Raven says. "It's not like this is completely voluntary. I admit it's way more fun than being cooped up inside Robin's subconscious, but I'm not exactly planning for this or anything. By the way, as a side note I'd like you to warn you that her subconscious is one hell of a scary place. Robin is nowhere near as innocent as she appears."

"Get off!" He growls.

"No can do." She says. "I don't want you to maul me. Besides, this is kind of hot."

"Shut the hell up!" Kanda yells. He shoves Raven to the side and she tumbles over the side of the bed. Raven hurries to stand, but Kanda pins her down on the floor. Mugen flashes against the side of her neck, dangerously close to her jugular.

Suddenly the door to the room is thrown open. Kanda and Raven snap their attention to the red-head gawking at them from the entrance.

"R-Robin?" Lavi asks. He glances wide-eyed at her under Kanda. Kanda glances down at her skirt and bright red top then back to Lavi.

Shit.

* * *

**Ah, cliffhangers. You really have to hate them. :) Don't worry! I'm writing like crazy because it's summer so I'll try to get the next chapter done soon!**

**Thank you for reading! And thank you for all the reviews! Remember: Vote for a side or forever hold your peace!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the next chapter! Please read and tell me what you think! :)  
**

* * *

Lavi's face turns beet red and a trickle of blood runs down from his nose.

"Do you mind?" Raven asks, annoyed. Kanda growls. Lavi opens his mouth to say something, but then, just as suddenly as he came in, he bolts out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Raven asks. A vein pops out on his head and Kanda glares at her.

"If you weren't in Robin's body you'd be chopped to pieces by now." He growls.

"I don't see how he'd care about that." Raven says. The blade moves closer and Raven smirks. "Guess it's that time again." She says and Kanda frowns with confusion. Her eyes close and her whole body relaxes.

"Hey!" Kanda yells. "I'm not done with you yet!"

"Kanda?" Robin asks.

Robin's eyes flicker open and she squints at him. She stares up at his glare and slowly notices Mugen pressed against her neck. Suddenly her face flushes. Kanda is on top of her. Again.

"Not again!" Robin yells. "Kanda!"

Kanda's grip on Mugen relaxes, but he doesn't lower the blade. "Are you Robin?" He asks.

"What are you talking about?!" She says. "Who else would I be?!"

"Prove it." Kanda says. "How did we meet?"

"I kicked your ass when the gatekeeper mistook me for a threat." She answers.

Kanda releases a breath and gets off of her. Robin looks down at her clothes and nearly has a heart attack. She's wearing an incredibly short miniskirt and red top. Her wrap is gone and she actually has a chest. She looks down at the heels on her feet and inwardly sheds a tear to how high they are.

"What am I wearing?!" She yells. Kanda sighs. For some reason he feels exhausted.

"Kanda!" She yells to him. "What were you doing?!" Suddenly he wraps his arms around her and buries his head in her hair. "K-Kanda?"

"I'm just glad you're you." He says.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" She turns to him. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later." He says. "Besides, I think we have more pressing concerns right now."

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"Lavi just saw you dressed up like this." Kanda says. Robin blinks, the information slowly sinking in. Her faces turns red.

"Crap!" She yells. "Does he know!?"

"I don't know." Kanda says.

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" She gets to her feet.

"Careful." He warns. Robin ignores him and takes a wobbly step. Her foot slips and she falls face-first onto the floor. She lets out a low moan and Kanda stifles a laugh.

"Please get these stupid things off me." She mutters.

"Not a fan of heels?" He asks, reaching to release the buckle on one of the shoe's straps.

"High heels are nothing more than a man's invention to make a girl's butt look smaller and make it harder for them to run away." She replies. "Call it heresy, but I say all heels should be burned."

"I never would have picked you for a feminist." He says.

"Excuse me for actually enjoying the ability to walk."

Kanda slides the shoes off and Robin lets out a sigh. "What do we do now?" She asks. "Lavi isn't that stupid. Even if he doesn't realize it right away he's bound to figure it out eventually."

"There's only one way to know for sure." Kanda says. He helps her to her feet. "We'll just have to find him and see what happens."

Robin nods. She's scared, but with Kanda by her side she might be able to face it. She slips her fingers around his and heads toward the door.

"Wait." Kanda says. She turns to him and frowns.

"What?" She asks.

"You might want to change first, baka."

Robin blushes and grabs a handful of clothes from her dresser. She quickly gets dressed (oh how she missed pants) and follows Kanda down the hallway.

They reach the cafeteria and stop when they spot the rabbit at a table with Allen and Lenalee. Lavi is describing something to them using large, dramatic arm motions and Robin silently prays whatever he's saying has nothing to do with her. She knows she's not that lucky, but she can still pray.

Kanda reaches for her hand and he leads her over to the table. The finders stop eating and watch the two of them walk through the rows of tables. Robin avoids their stares. Do they know? They finally stop next to Lavi's table and Lavi falls silent. Kanda glares at the red-head who smiles.

"Speak of the devil." Lavi says. "Did you two have fun?"

"What?" Kanda asks.

"Who knew Kanda was the perverted type?" Lavi says, grinning. "Forcing Robin to cross-dress. At least now we know who's uke and who's seme."

Lavi laughs as Kanda angrily grabs a fistful of the exorcist's jacket. Robin releases a breath of relief. She's never been more grateful for the rabbit's stupidity.

"I believe we had a bet." Lenalee says with a smile. Lavi frowns and begrudgingly hands the pigtailed girl fifty bucks.

"You had a bet?!" Robin yells, incredulous.

"Yeah," Lavi says. "Fifty bucks goes to whoever picked the correct uke."

"I knew it was Robin." Lenalee says with a smile. Lavi shrugs.

"I still say it's possible Yuu could connect with his inner feminine side."

"What was that?!" Kanda growls at him with Mugen instantly at his throat.

"Hey, I don't judge." Lavi answers.

Robin slumps down at the table next to Allen. Her head is killing her again.

"Still not feeling well?" Allen asks her.

"I feel a lot better than this morning." She says. "I just have a really bad headache. Do I still have a fever?"

"I'll check." Allen says. Allen gently brushes away a stray strand of hair and presses his lips to her forehead. Robin blushes from the sudden kiss and a rough hand pulls her away.

"MOYASHI!"

Mugen nips the edge of Allen's neck and Kanda shoves the white-haired boy onto the floor.

"What?" Allen asks. "I was just checking his temperature."

"Like hell you were." Kanda growls.

"What's wrong Kanda?" Allen asks with a smirk. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous." Kanda grits his teeth in anger and raises his katana.

"Kanda!" Robin says. She slips her arms around his waist and pulls him away in an attempt to stop him from decapitating the other exorcist.

"Relax!" She says.

"He kissed you." Kanda growls.

"That's an actual way to check someone's temperature." She says.

"So?" Kanda asks. Robin sighs. She stands on her tip-toes and leans her head against his shoulder.

"When we head to our room again, I'll slip back into that skirt for you." She whispers in his ear. Kanda shudders and she places her lips against the side of his neck. She bites down and he releases a quiet moan. Robin may still be a virgin, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been taking notes. Even if it was an illusion, she still can't get the tingling sensation of Kanda's lips against her neck out of her head.

She feels his body relax and she lets him go. Lenalee and Lavi stare at her, faces flushed. Allen looks more annoyed than embarrassed, but is relieved to have Mugen pointed away from him for the time being.

"Eeek!" Lenalee chirps. "Don't stop! Kiss him! Kiss him!"

"So I'm uke?" Robin asks Lenalee. Robin smirks and spins around so she has Kanda pressed against the table. Lenalee shrieks in joy and Lavi grabs the bridge of his nose. "What makes you think Kanda is seme?" Robin asks. She slips one hand into his back pocket and straddles him so she's on top.

"What are you doing?" Kanda whispers in her ear.

"Creating a distraction." She whispers back. "When you see blood, make a run for it." Kanda smirks and their lips connect. Kanda's tongue explores her mouth while his nails gently dig into her back. Robin groans and she stealthily sticks her hands into his pants. She doesn't go further than his underwear but there's a chorus of squeals around them.

"Now?" She whispers. Kanda peeks over at the other exorcists on the verge of passing out from blood loss.

"Now." He says. Her and Kanda make a run for their room. Robin slips in first and Kanda closes the door behind them.

"Crap!" Robin yells. She runs into the bathroom and grabs a tissue to slow her nosebleed down. Kanda stares at her and her face flushes.

"What?" She asks. "It's not my fault my nose is weak." Kanda walks over to her and wraps his arms around her waist, causing Robin to jump from his touch. His head rests against her shoulder and he smirks.

"I had no idea you could be so...persuasive." He says. Robin blushes.

"I may still be a virgin, but that doesn't make me completely naive." She says. "I've seen Master do the same with plenty of women."

"He'd do that in front of you?" Kanda asks in horror.

"Only when he was too drunk to realize it." She says. "I swear he had a new woman every night. I'd like to think most women have enough self-respect to avoid a man like him. But it's okay." Robin smirks. "I've gotten vengeance plenty of times." She laughs evilly and Kanda sweat drops.

"You're almost as bad as moyashi." He mumbles.

"Oh yeah." Her fingers brush the top of her forehead and she blushes, remembering his soft lips against her head.

"Why are you blushing?" Kanda growls.

"I just remembered how I nearly raped you in the middle of the cafeteria." She says. Kanda glares at her and she feels the arms around her tighten.

"Kanda," She says. "I don't understand why you're so jealous."

"I'm not jealous." He says.

"Yeah." She says. "Because that answer is objective and unbiased."

"So I don't like it when another man touches you." He says. "Excuse me for wanting to rip their heads off. You're mine, Robin. They need to realize that." Robin's face turns beet red and she pulls away. Kanda raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"What is it?" He asks.

"No one's ever said that to me before." She says. Kanda smirks.

"You're my little uke." Kanda says, pressing his lips to hers. Robin pauses and pulls away.

"Why do I have to be uke?" She asks.

"Because you're a girl." He answers. "If we're going to cover as a gay couple, it makes sense that you're uke."

"Maybe I don't want to be uke." She says with a frown.

"You're a girl." Kanda answers.

"So?"

"This isn't yaoi." He says. "No yaoi means no uke and no seme. Not for real."

"Yeah, but we're going to pretend it is to keep my secret, right? So how come I'm stuck as uke?"

"Well," Kanda says. "In yaoi, the girly one is generally uke. Seeing how you're the girly one, that makes you uke."

"Says the guy with long, glistening blue hair." She mutters, and Kanda frowns.

"What?" She asks. "I'm not calling you girly, just that you do have a relatively feminine exterior and that if viewed by an objective, third-party observer, an argument can be made that you do _appear_ as the girly one."

Kanda's jaw clenches and he lets out a low growl toward her. "I am not girly." He mutters.

"I didn't say that." She says quickly.

"Yes, you did." He says.

Robin gives him an exasperated sigh and throws her arms up. "I just don't want to be uke, alright!?"

"You're missing the point." He says.

"Besides," She says. "Uke and seme aren't dependent on who is the most girly. Girlishness hardly counts. It's about dominance."

"And?" He asks.

"Maybe I don't want to be dominated."

"Robin." He says, placing both arms on her shoulders. "You're a girl."

"So?"

A vein pops up on the corner of his forehead and he mutters angrily in Japanese. She isn't sure what he's saying, but she smiles anyways, actually enjoying how much fun it is to irritate him. Maybe she's on to something...

Suddenly the door to their room bursts open. Kanda whips around, ready to impale the intruder when Reever runs in out of breath.

"Reever?" Robin asks. "Did something happen?"

"There's an emergency." He says. "All available exorcists are to report to Komui right away."

Her and Kanda exchange a look, then run after the scientist headed toward Komui's office. Once they reach the room they walk in to find Allen, Lavi, Krory, Lenalee, and Komui gathered around the world map.

"What's up?" Kanda asks Komui.

"There's a sudden outbreak of akuma." Komui says. "Akuma by the hundreds are gathering in Spain and appear to be targeting three separate cities all at once. Due to the sheer volume of akuma I'm assigning all available exorcists to dispatch them. You're to split up into pairs and destroy the akuma in each city while searching for the cause. Now Lenalee and Robin, you are the most mobile exorcists therefore I'm assigning you the city furthest to the north." Komui points to the northern most red dot on the map and Robin nods. "Lavi and Krory will take the city to the east and Kanda and Allen will have the one to the west."

Robin glances at Kanda and Allen both frowning at their pairing. She can't imagine either one working with the other. She'd prefer to stay with Kanda herself, but orders are orders.

"Let's go, Robin." Lenalee says. Robin nods. The pigtailed girl takes off and before following, Robin pauses by Kanda.

"Stay safe." She says and gives him a soft peck on the cheek.

"You too, baka." He whispers back, giving her palm a squeeze.

"And try not to kill each other." She says, glancing at him and Allen.

"No promises." He says in reply and she smirks. She turns and breaks out into a run behind Lenalee.

Once they're out of the Order, Lenalee activates her innocence and the top part of her Dark Boots unwrap to her knees. Circles with a cross mark run down the length of her legs and a green energy is emitted from her ankles.

"Those are seriously sweet boots." Robin says, taking a moment to stare at them. Lenalee smiles and runs ahead at incredible speed. Robin activates her own innocence and her silver wings extend. She flies up and follows the green light from Lenalee's boots.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hurry up moyashi!" Kanda yells.

The white-haired boy pauses to take a breath and quickly hurries after the samurai. A steady glow of lights in the distance tells him that they're nearly there. According to Komui each city is already stationed with finder units. Allen prays that they're able to fend off the hordes of akuma long enough for him and Kanda to arrive. He thinks of the other exorcists and hopes they're okay. Especially Robin and Lenalee. The majority of akuma seem to be focused in the northern most city, so those two will have to do the most fighting. Other exorcists should be rendezvousing with them, but Allen can't help but worry.

_Please let them be safe._

"Do you see them?" Kanda asks. Allen concentrates and spots the souls of the akuma. His eyes widen.

"There's so many!" He says. "There have to be hundreds! What could so many akuma be gathering for?"

"No clue." Kanda says. "But we should hurry."

"Right." He says, and they pick up the pace.

* * *

"I see them!" Robin yells from her position in the clouds.

"Me too." Lenalee's voice echos over the bat-like golem flying next to her. Robin lowers her altitude and makes out the swarm of dark shapes closing in on the city. She spots a handful of level twos and even some level threes. She grits her teeth and prepares for a fight.

"Ready?" Lenalee asks.

"Ready." Robin says.

She drops from the sky and plummets to the ground. Her heart hammers in her chest from a rush of adrenaline and she stretches her wings out just in time to slice through a row of akuma. She lands on the ground and blocks with her wings as the akuma begin to shoot. Lenalee leaps over her and begins destroying them with her devastating kicks.

The two of them develop a pattern of attack. Lenalee will leap at akuma while Robin covers her and vice versa. It isn't until they head deeper into the city that they start seeing finders. A group of them in their brown-white cloaks huddle around a line of barrier devices. They attempt to capture them but fail as the ranks of akuma shoot at them.

"No!" Lenalee yells as half a dozen of them collapse to the ground in pain.

"Cover me!" Robin yells. Robin rushes to the finders' side and places a glowing white hand to each man's chest. The black pentacle marks slowly recede and their wounds are healed like nothing happened.

"I'm going to focus on healing the finders and any townspeople!" Robin yells to Lenalee. "Can you handle the akuma by yourself?"

"Yeah!" She yells back and lands another kick that destroys a level two. Robin hurries further in to find more wounded, ripping apart any akuma in her way. She finds another crowd of finders surrounded by akuma. There are nearly thirty finders collapsed on the ground and Robin rushes over to them. She begins healing them as fast as she can but she can hardly keep up. There's too many. There's a scream from her right and more finders fall back from the akuma's onslaught.

"No!" She yells. She hurries to save them but she's too late as their bodies deteriorate into sand. "No!" She yells. More finders fall and she buries her face in her hands in frustration. What's the point of having a healing ability if she can't help them? She has to save them. She has to save them all.

Suddenly her wings begin to glow pure white. Power swells in her chest and the light continues to become brighter and brighter until it swallows the city. She shuts her eyes from the light's intensity and feels energy pour out of her wings. It suddenly bursts and the light fades. Akuma rupture into explosions all around the city and the light gathers around the finders. It heals their wounds and purges the akuma virus from their systems. Lenalee looks over at her, amazed.

"How did you do that?!" She yells. "You took out all the akuma! And all the finders are okay!"

Robin smiles, but pain suddenly shoots across her body. She groans and goes into a violent coughing fit. Blood pools on the ground near her and she collapses, her body unable to support her anymore.

"Robin!" Lenalee yells in alarm. She rushes to Robin's side. Robin's eyes shut and her body goes slack. Lenalee places a gentle hand on the other exorcist, but Robin doesn't stir. The pigtailed girl places an ear to Robin's motionless chest. Robin's breathing is shallow but still audible. Lenalee's eyebrows furrow when she feels the outline of something else. She lifts up the other exorcist's shirt and stares at the wrap tightened across Robin's chest. Lenalee stares at her in shock. Robin has breasts?!

"Lenalee!" Allen calls. He runs over to her and Lenalee quickly re-covers Robin's chest. Allen glances at the pigtailed girl in confusion. "What's wrong?" He asks. Lenalee shifts so he can see the unconscious Robin and his eyes widen.

"Robin!" He yells. Kanda's eyes flash with concern and he shoves the other exorcist aside to see her.

"Robin!" Kanda yells. Robin doesn't move and he looks toward Lenalee. Her face is flushed and she looks like she's seen a ghost. "What happened?" He asks her. Lenalee shakes her head.

"Ah," She says. "T-there was this really bright light. Then all of the akuma exploded and the finders were healed. I think it was her innocence."

"Her?" Allen asks and Kanda flinches. Kanda glares at her and she blushes.

"Sorry," She says. "I meant his innocence. I think there was a rebound effect."

"Is he okay?" Allen asks.

"He's unconscious, but still breathing." Kanda answers. He wraps an arm around her limp form and brings her to his chest. Her face is flushed with beads of sweat running down her forehead. At his touch she suddenly shifts in his arms and releases a yelp of pain. Her fingers wrap around his shirt and he plants a gentle kiss on the top of her forehead. Her body relaxes and Kanda carries her bridal style, starting to head back to the Order.

"Yuu!" Lavi yells running down the city's streets with Krory on his tail. Seeing Kanda and Robin he stops in his tracks. "Whoa! Is Robin okay?" He yells. "We got here as fast as we could."

"We need to get him to Komui." Kanda says. "I think something is up with his innocence."

"Then let's hurry." Lavi says.

* * *

Robin blinks and forces her eyes open. The space around her is empty with nothing more than an ominous white haze in all directions. She's lying on her back on what feels like solid ground, but when she turns her head to get a glimpse of the surface, there's nothing there. Robin tries to move, but pain pulsates across her body and she winces.

"Don't move." A voice says from behind her. Robin's eyes widen. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Raven?" She asks. The dark-haired girl leans over her so her violet eyes meet Robin's. Raven's eyes soften and her mouth tugs into a serene smile.

"Robin." She says. Robin struggles to sit up. Pain washes over her, but she ignores it and wraps her arms around the dark-haired girl.

"I said not to move idiot!" Raven yells, glaring at her. Robin laughs and squeezes her friend tighter.

"Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?" Robin says. "How much I longed to just see you one last time?" Tears spill from her eyes and Raven smiles.

"I never left." Raven says. "All this time I've been right here, cheering you on."

"Is this heaven?" Robin asks.

"Nope." Raven says with a grin. "Just your subconscious."

"What?!" Robin yells and Raven's grin becomes wider.

"Do you remember that time when we were at the orphanage?" Raven asks.

"Of course." Robin says. "I'd never forget."

"I used to slip out of our room sometimes during the night." Raven says. "You were always asleep but I loved that feeling of being free even if it was only for a couple hours. Nights were so peaceful and I could just wander around in the moonlight for hours. One night though, I ran into something terrifying. It was a dark, hulking shape with huge guns covering its body."

"An akuma." Robin answers and Raven nods.

"I thought I was a goner." Raven continues. "Then suddenly wings ripped out of my back and took control of my body. It destroyed the akuma. A man dressed in a gold coat appeared out of nowhere and called me an Accommodator. He explained everything. About akuma, innocence, exorcists. He wanted me to become an exorcist and leave for the Black Order. When I first came to the orphanage I swore I would leave that place. I have no family, no home. The old me would have followed that man the moment he saw me and left that place. But," Raven's eyes fall on her. "I wasn't alone anymore. I had someone I cared about and couldn't abandon. I tried, but I found I couldn't. I couldn't abandon you Robin. I gave up the idea of being an exorcist. I pretended nothing happened and tried to continue living normally. However, the innocence inside me couldn't accept that. It began to act on its own and on that night when I last saw you, it took over. It completely drained me of my energy and started going crazy. I thought it was going to rip me open when you woke up."

"I don't remember waking up." Robin says confused.

"Well, you did." Raven says. "All you had to do was touch the innocence and it resonated with you. It grafted itself into your body and synchronized with you. Somehow I got caught up in the middle and I guess my soul became trapped within your subconsciousness. For some reason whenever you're in trouble or too exhausted to fight, the innocence will swap you out with me so I can protect you."

"You've taken over my body?!" Robin asks. Raven chuckles sheepishly.

"Only once or twice." She says. "By the way, you have to explain the whole deal with Ponytail."

"You mean Kanda?" Robin asks. "Wait, are you the one who dressed me up in that skirt and heels?!"

"Yup." Raven says with a smile. "You're welcome."

"Raven!" Robin whines. "You nearly blew my cover!"

"Technically, I nearly got you raped by Ponytail." Raven says. Robin gawks at her and she smiles. "Don't worry. You're still a virgin. Though I am impressed that you snagged yourself a lover."

Robin's face turns red. "Please don't say lover."

"Well," Raven says. "He said, and I quote, 'Look like that and I might just ravish you on the spot.' Usually when a guy says that to you it means you're lovers."

"I think I feel light-headed." She says, lying back down on the ground. Raven chuckles.

"He's way too serious for my taste, but it's clear he cares about you."

Against her better judgment, Robin smiles. "Yeah," She says. "I'm so lucky."

"Plus he's freaking hot." Raven says and Robin sweat drops.

"You haven't changed at all." Robin says. Raven smiles.

"You have though." She says. Robin raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" Robin asks and her friend nods.

"You're happy." Raven says with a smile. "It seems you've finally found a place for yourself."

Robin thinks of all the other exorcists. Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda. She smiles. The Black Order is her home now. There's nowhere else she can ever think of belonging. Raven's eyes fall.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"Huh?"

"I keep interfering with your life." Raven says. "Even now I fear I may be causing you problems. If I could, I'd leave you alone. I'd never want to be a burden to you."

"Shut up." Robin says. "You'd never be a burden. In fact, it's you that drives me to become stronger. I'd never want you to disappear. I'm happy being able to see and talk to you, because you're my best friend." A tear falls from Raven's eyes and Robin wraps her arms around the girl.

"Gah!" Raven say wiping her eyes. "I can't believe I'm blubbering like an idiot!"

"Embrace the blubbering." Robin says with a smile. "Tears are what make us human."

"Who was the idiot who said that?" Raven asks.

"My best friend." Robin says.

"Your best friend is an idiot."

"Yeah, I know." Robin says with a smirk.

"Hey!" Raven says. "I resent that!"

"No you don't."

Raven pouts and Robin laughs. "I don't know how sharing a body is gonna work." Raven says. "It's going to be confusing and annoying to say the least."

"Well, as long as you promise not to wear heels that are too high and attempt to jump and/or kill Kanda, I think I can be okay with it."

Raven frowns. "No killing _or _heels? I don't know if I can bear it!"

"Those are my rules." Robin says and Raven sighs.

"Fine." She says. "But I am going to annoy him as much as I physically can."

"Go for it." Robin says. "But you'll find that Kanda can be pretty evil when he wants to be."

"I wouldn't want things to be too easy."

Raven laughs manically and Robin sweat drops. Raven really hasn't changed at all.

"You know, if you really want to annoy him you should call him Yuu." Robin says with an evil grin of her own. "He hates being called by his first name."

"Ponytail is Yuu?" Raven asks, wide-eyed. The dark-haired girl bursts into laughter.

"What is it?" Robin asks, confused. Raven shakes her head.

"No." She says. "I won't spoil it. You'll know when you see it. Just make sure to give my thanks to Lavi."

"Suspicious." Robin mutters and Raven laughs.

"You know," Raven says. "I have to admit, if I had to have my soul stuck inside someone's subconscious for the rest of their life, I'm glad it's you." Robin smiles.

"Me too."


	18. Chapter 18

**I realize this chapter is much shorter, but I was going for dramatic effect. Don't worry, I'll make up for it with the next chapter.**

**As always, I hope you're enjoying the story and please, please leave me a review! :)**

* * *

Pale white arms wrap themselves around Robin's unconscious form and Hevlaska pulls her close. The center of her forehead brushes against Robin's. Komui, Kanda, and General Cross watch as Hevlaska gently places Robin back onto the platform.

"Do you have any theories?" Komui asks her.

"Unfortunately, no." Hevlaska answers. "I can't seem to get a reading from him."

"What does that mean?" Komui asks.

"It is strange." Hevlaska continues. "His innocence appears to be conflicted. His synchronization rate is continuously fluctuating at very high rates. The innocence appears to be very close to the critical point; however, Robin shows signs of becoming a Fallen One. It is very strange."

"A constantly changing synchronization rate can be hard on an Accommodator's body." Cross says. "His recent exhaustion and collapse may be a result of that."

"Most likely." Hevlaska agrees.

"What is the cause of this?" Kanda asks.

"I do not know." Hevlaska says.

"Then for the time being I'd like Robin to avoid activating his innocence." Komui says. "At least until we know the cause of this problem. We can't rule out any possibilities. For Robin's sake, I feel we should urge on the verge of caution."

"I agree." Cross says.

Kanda glances down at the motionless Robin. Her expression is calm, as though she's asleep. Kanda lifts her into his arms and he heads back toward their room. She no longer shifts with pain like she did during the trip to the Order. Kanda doesn't know if it's a good sign or not, but at least she appears to be able to get some rest.

He places her body on the bed and covers her with the blanket so she'll be warm. He debates lying down next to her, but decides against it. He grabs a spot on the other bed and grabs one of his books. Trying to sleep would be pointless for him now anyways. He shifts to get comfortable and opens to the book's first page.

* * *

Hours pass and Kanda hardly moves from his perch. The afternoon sun peeks in through their window and he pauses from his reading to glance at Robin. Her body suddenly shifts and he throws the book onto the bed, instantly moving to her side. Robin's caramel colored eyes flicker open and gaze into Kanda's. Her mouth curls into a sweet smile.

"Morning Kanda!" She says cheerfully. She stretches her arms over her head and sits up in the bed next to him.

"You seem to be feeling better." He comments.

"I feel way better." She says. "I actually feel really really good right now!" She grins and Kanda releases a long sigh of relief. He lies down on the bed next to her and wraps an arm around her waist. His eyelids slowly close and Robin snuggles against him.

"Are you okay?" She asks, worried.

"Tired." He answers.

"Were you up all night?" She asks.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Then sleep now." She says pulling the blankets over him.

"I'm leaving on a mission tonight." Kanda says. "I'm going to be gone for a couple days."

"Just you?" She asks, frowning.

"You won't be going on missions for awhile. After passing out on the last one, Komui wants you to avoid activating your innocence. It's been acting up and Hevlaska thinks it's what has been causing you to feel so weak lately. For the time being you're on suspension."

"What?!" She says, pouting. "That's so unfair! I'm fine now!"

"Orders are orders." He says. "There's a risk of you becoming a Fallen One. We can't take that chance so you'll have to wait in the Order until it's figured out."

Robin frowns. "That sucks." She says. Kanda sighs and struggles to keep his eyes open. Kanda looks tired. Did he stay up all night looking after her?

"You look exhausted." She says.

"I'll be fine." He says.

"Oh shut up." She says. "Just go to sleep. You need your rest."

Kanda smirks and pulls her to his chest like she's a stuffed animal. He presses his lips against the crown of her head and Robin blushes.

"Fine." He says. "But you're staying with me."

She sighs. Well, it's not like she actually has to be anywhere. She snuggles up against his chest and he wraps his arms around her in a protective embrace.

"Kanda?" She asks. He looks down at her face.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know about Raven?" She asks. He blinks, surprised.

"How do you know about Raven?" He asks.

"She told me about it." Robin answers. "Don't ask how because I'm not entirely sure myself."

"Well, yeah." He says. "She took over your body a couple of times. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just wanted to confirm it myself."

"I see." Robin says. She nuzzles his chest.

"I know she's your friend, but that girl seems like nothing but trouble."

Robin offers a weak smile. "Raven can be a bit quirky." She says. "But I trust her with my life. She's the kindest and toughest person I know. Back when we were living at the orphanage, she was the one who taught me how to stand up for myself." She smiles. "I remember always wanting to be more like her."

He frowns. "I really hope you don't." Kanda says. "As is, I barely restrained myself from chopping her head off."

"My head." She says. Kanda smirks. "Should I be worried?"

"Like I've said, I only bite when you want me to." He says, eyes gleaming.

Robin blushes and runs her fingers through his long blue hair. She can feel herself become more relaxed around him. Before she couldn't look him in the eye without the threat of a nosebleed. Kanda has always been particularly gentle with her, but now she finally feels comfortable enough to open up. In his embrace she feels warm and safe. Robin smiles and looks up into his eyes. He smirks back and brushes away a strand of hair.

"Thank you." She says.

"For what?" He asks, taken off guard.

"For being here." She says. "For chasing me down in the rain and keeping my secret. For caring about me and looking after me, even if it causes you nothing but trouble. For putting up with every one of my incredibly stupid, annoying, awkward moments. Thank you Kanda. It's because of you I finally feel like I'm home."

"Robin?" He whispers. "Will you be my uke when I get back?" His lips brush against her neck and her eyes widen.

"You mean-?" She asks. He nods and her face turns an even brighter shade of red. Kanda eyes gleam and he lifts her chin so their lips reach. His forehead brushes against hers and the ends of his mouth curl into a smile.

"Only if you want to." He says. "I won't accept your answer if you're feeling pressured."

She bites the bottom of her lip in contemplation.

"I trust you." She says. Her eyes reach his and he frowns.

"It isn't about trust." He says. She frowns and Kanda pulls away from her, staring at her with gentle eyes.

"Then what is it about?" She asks. He smiles at her. It's a real smile. The kind she never thought Kanda was capable of until she had seen it with her own eyes.

"It's about love, baka." Kanda answers. His lips brush against hers and she blushes, understanding the implication. He sighs and pulls away from her. Confused, she raises an eyebrow as he reaches for his suitcase and replaces Mugen around his shoulder.

"I have to go." He says. She shoots a glance toward their alarm clock, and sure enough, it's already seven o'clock in the evening. Where did the time go?

"Kanda." She says, following him to the door. "Before you go, what did you mean by that? You said-" She's cut off when he suddenly presses her against the wall. She gasps and he nuzzles the side of her neck. She shivers as his warm breath tickles the end of her ear. He looks toward her flushed face and smirks.

"What do you think it means?" He says. She leans closer and he pulls away at the same instant, turning towards the door. She frowns. _He planned that, didn't he?_

"Okay," She says, pouting. "That's just plain evil! For once can you not be so damn mysterious and complicated?!"

"I love you Robin."

She freezes and he pauses by the doorway. All she can see is his long ponytail of hair falling down the length of his back. Heat flares across her cheeks. Before she can even utter a word, the door closes behind him and he's gone.


	19. Chapter 19

**As you've all probably guessed, it will be RavenxLavi. All of those who voted for Lavi will probably enjoy this chapter. (I hope). **

**Starting this chapter and for now on, _Bold italics=_Raven and **_regular italics_**=Robin. You'll know what I mean when you see it. And thank you so much for reading the story and definitely leave a review or send me a PM to let me know what you think or if you have any questions, comments, ideas, criticism, etc. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

"So, there I was in China," Lavi's voice booms across the cafeteria table. "I walked into this inn and standing in front of me was this beautiful Chinese girl in this silk dress. I stood there and-hey are you guys listening?"

Robin suddenly jolts awake. "I'm awake!" Robin yells, glancing around wildly.

Her short brown hair is tousled and her eyes are red from lack of sleep. She, Allen and Lavi are sitting at their table munching on breakfast. Lavi sits across from her so his back is to the wall, while Allen is right next to her. The previously nodding-off Allen jumps from her sudden awakening and raises an eyebrow. Lavi bursts into laughter and she groans, resting her head against the table again.

"Tired?" Allen asks, concerned. "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"No." She says. "I actually feel fine. I just can't sleep." Lavi leans back and smirks.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Yuu being away on assignment, would it?" He asks.

_I love you Robin._

Her face turns completely red and she slams her head against the table, taking Allen off guard. Lavi erupts into fits of laughter and she groans.

It's already been a solid day since he left, leaving behind those four little words that remain buzzing through her head. Every. Single. Freaking. Second. She knew Kanda cares for her and holds feelings of affection for her, but never in a million years had she expected him to actually come out and say he loves her. She was shocked, surprised, terrified, and completely overjoyed. She wasn't mentally prepared for it. It shocked her so bad she couldn't sleep. She could hardly eat. She could barely keep a straight face. And something tells her he planned it that way.

_I love you Robin._

"Gah!" She yells at the ceiling. "That jerk!" Lavi stops his laughing and exchanges a look with Allen. The two of them together burst into laughs and she twitches with irritation.

"And what is so funny?" She asks, annoyed.

"Your face!" Lavi answers through fits of laughter.

"What did Bakanda even do?!" Allen asks.

"Yeah," The red-head says. "I need to congratulate him when he gets back!"

Robin's eyes narrow and a dark menacing aura swallows the table. Allen squeaks and moves to hide behind Lavi who smiles wider, oblivious to the darkness.

"Come on!" Lavi says. "What happened? Did Yuu finally confess his undying love?"

Robin flinches and heat rushes to her face. She slams her face to the table and the two boys jump.

"Wait, he did?!" Lavi yells, wide-eyed. He exchanges another look with the equally shocked Allen and bursts into laughter again. Allen's jaw drops.

"That's hilarious!" Lavi yells, rolling onto his side with laughs. "Oh geez, what was the look on his face?!"

"I couldn't see!" She yells back.

"What did you say back?" Allen asks.

"Nothing." She says. Lavi pauses.

"Nothing?" The red-head asks. Lavi suddenly takes on a serious expression and frowns. "That's no good. Why didn't you say anything back?"

"Do you not love him?" Allen asks.

"No!" She yells.

"So you do love him?" Lavi asks.

"I-I-" She blushes and buries her head again. "I don't know! He said it right as he left, all cool and mysterious like. I couldn't even think! Damn that sexy sadist!"

"Sexy...?"

"...Sadist?"

Lavi hollers with laughter and Allen slams his head against the table, mortified. Robin stares at the two of them and sweat drops. _What is wrong with these two?!_ She sighs and reaches for a strip of bacon. Her hand brushes against something soft and she looks down at a small golden golem with feathered wings and a tail puffed out from its body. It flutters around her head happily. Allen looks up from the table and, seeing her watch the golem, smiles.

"Have you met Timcanpy yet?" Allen asks. "He's Master Cross' golem. I've been looking after him."

"Oh my gosh! He's so cute!" She suddenly says. Timcanpy lands on her head and she smiles huge at the little golem. Allen and Lavi sweat drop.

"Are you sure you're a guy?" Lavi asks with a smirk. She blushes and sticks her tongue at him.

"Shut up baka usagi." She says. Lavi's jaw drops and Allen snorts.

"Crap!" Lavi yells wide-eyed. He points to her horrified. "She's becoming like _him_!"

"Sucks to be you." Allen says with a smirk.

"What was that moyashi?" Robin asks with evil smile. Allen snaps his attention toward her at the use of his dreaded nickname and gapes.

"Not you too!" Allen yells.

"Yuu's corrupted him!" Lavi yells.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Both she and Allen yell, glaring at the red-head who proceeds to laugh very loudly. A few finders in the cafeteria pause and glance at the manic red-head laughing like a psychopath. Robin and Allen sweat drop and release a long, exhausted sigh.

"Sometimes Lavi worries me." She says. Allen chuckles.

"That's Lavi for you." He says and Robin shrugs. "So, how are you going to spend your time at the Order? I heard from Komui that you're temporarily suspended?"

Her face falls. "Yeah," She says. "And I have no idea what I'll do. Kanda isn't even here." She frowns.

"Well," Allen says. "You can always hang out with me. I don't have any missions right now so I'm not doing anything."

"You sure?" She asks. "I don't want to be a burden."

"You would never be a burden." Allen says with a smile. "I like hanging out with you."

"You're so nice Allen." She says, smiling back. "I might just take you up on that offer." Allen rubs the hair behind his head embarrassed, and laughs.

"Cool." Allen says, a light pink tint brushing across his cheeks. Lavi looks curiously between the two of them and blinks. Interesting, Lavi thinks with a grin.

"Oh yeah Robin!" Lavi says interrupting the two exorcists. "I swear I saw your twin the other day!"

"My twin?" Robin asks.

"Yeah." Lavi says, remembering the encounter. "I bumped into her while I was in town. Before I could get her name, she ran off."

"Is this the same girl you were going on about?" Allen asks. Lavi nods.

"I swear she looked exactly like Robin." Lavi says. "The only difference was that her hair was completely black and she had these beautiful violet eyes."

"Wait," Robin says. "Violet eyes? Was that-?"

"Was that what?" Lavi asks.

"Do you know the girl Lavi's talking about?" Allen asks. Lavi looks over at her expectantly and Robin sighs.

"Maybe." Robin admits. Lavi's eyes widen. He grabs hold of her and squeezes her into a hug.

"Oh Rob, my man!" Lavi yells. "You have to introduce me!"

"Why don't you take her out on a date?" Allen suggests. Lavi's smile grows.

"Yeah!" Lavi yells. "I should totally take her out!"

"Wait," Robin says. "I don't think-"

"Pretty please Rob?" Lavi begs. "She was so amazing! I have to see her again. Please, oh pretty please!"

"I don't-"

"_**Say yes!"**_

Robin nearly jumps five feet in the air. She glances wildly around herself expecting to see someone behind her, but no one's there. She frowns. Great, now she's hearing voices.

"_**Come on Robin! Let me go on the date!"**_

Okay, now she knows she wasn't imagining it that time. The voice was at best a whisper, yet it managed to echo through her eardrums; almost like it came from her head.

"_**Robin?!"**_

Robin blinks, recognizing the voice now.

"Raven?!" She asks out-loud.

"_**Shhhh! Not out-loud idiot! I'm trying to be sneaky! Use your thoughts to speak!"**_

"_Raven?! What the hell?! How are you doing this?!"_

"_**Hell if I know. Though, it's currently becoming quite useful."**_

"_Raven!"_

"Hey Robin, are you okay?" Lavi asks, confused. She snaps her attention back to reality and meets the red-head's worried gaze. She sighs.

"Do you have to?" She asks.

"_**Yes! Yes! Absolutely!"**_

"Yeah!" Lavi answers. Robin sighs and concedes defeat, realizing she's outnumbered.

"Fine." Robin says. "I'll let her know." Lavi's arms wrap around her waist and he lifts her feet off the floor. Robin yelps in surprise and Lavi smiles like an idiot.

"Woo-hoo!" Lavi yells. "Thanks man! I owe you one!"

"Yeah, yeah." She says. "Just put me down please." Lavi releases his death-grip and she inches away from the red-head, convinced he's going to explode with excitement any second now.

"Will tomorrow work?" Robin asks.

"_**Yup! That should be fine!"**_

"So soon?" Lavi asks.

"Is that a problem?" Robin asks. "I can probably push it back a couple days if you want."

"No, tomorrow will work." Lavi says.

"Cool." She says. "I'll make sure she gets the message."

"Thank you Robin!" Lavi says. "I'll be getting ready!" He runs off down the hallway, humming happily to himself.

"_Happy?"_

"_**Ecstatic!"**_

Robin rolls her eyes and after saying her farewells to Allen, walks back to her room.

* * *

Lavi fidgets nervously with the glass of water on the restaurant table in front of him. He had decided on a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray muscle shirt with a blue graphic on the front. His bandana is gone so his long red hair is free and he wears small, gold hoop earrings that wrap around the edge of his ears.

For the last ten minutes he's been waiting at the restaurant for his date to show up. He arrived early, but sitting around waiting for so long makes him restless and does little to ease the nervous tension he feels in his chest. Robin said that his date would meet him at the restaurant at noon. Lavi doesn't know much about her other than when they previously bumped into each other. That and her name, which he got courtesy of Robin.

Raven.

The entrance to the restaurant swings open and Lavi spins around in his seat. An elderly man with a long gray beard and cane steps inside. Lavi frowns and feels his heart sink. He checks the clock, which now reads 12:07. Is she running late? Lavi sighs and takes a small sip of his water.

"Lavi?" A voice says from behind him.

He turns around and Raven stands by the table with a smile. She's wearing a fitting black tee with a paint-splatter design and a bright red skirt. The skirt isn't as short as the last one and falls right above her knees. She also has on the pair of black heels from before, much to Robin's annoyance, but Raven feels safe seeing how there really isn't anything Robin can do about it. Her short black hair is pulled back with a small red hair clip in the shape of a butterfly.

"Sorry I'm late." Raven says with a nervous smile. "I was getting ready and it ended up taking longer than I expected."

"That's okay." Lavi says, standing up from his chair. "I'm glad I'm able to see you again. By the way, you look amazing."

Raven blushes and takes the seat across from Lavi. He sits back down and looks down at his menu.

"So," Lavi says. "I guess you do know Robin after all." Raven smiles.

"Robin and I are actually pretty close." She says. "Sorry I lied to you last time. I didn't know you two were friends. So you're an exorcist too?"

"Yeah," Lavi says. "Though I'm primarily training to become the next Bookman."

"Bookman?" She asks.

"The Bookman's role is to observe the events happening in the world and record them for future generations. The training is actually pretty intensive."

"You must be busy. Isn't the number of akuma also rising?"

"Yeah," Lavi says. "But how do you know that? Are you with the Order?"

"Something like that." She says with a smirk. "But a girl can't reveal all her secrets at once."

"I would like to know one thing, though." Lavi says.

"Shoot."

"Why is Robin pretending to be a guy?" Raven freezes and Lavi's emerald gaze bores its way into hers.

"Because Robin _is_ a guy." Raven says smiling nervously. Lavi shakes his head.

"No," Lavi says. "I'm pretty sure she isn't." Raven frowns. Dammit.

"How long have you known?" She asks, narrowing her eyes.

"I had a clue when I first met her." Lavi says. "Of course, it wasn't until we went on vacation with the Order that I was able to confirm it. She and Kanda were staying in a room that allegedly causes woman to act strangely. Robin was definitely acting strange and even ran away in the middle of a storm. Plus, there were countless other clues. I'm sure Kanda knows as well."

"Oh, he knows." Raven says with a smirk. Lavi raises an eyebrow.

"The skirt was my idea." She answers and Lavi's eye widens.

"That was you?!" He yells. He bursts into laughter and Raven smiles. "Oh geez, the look on Yuu's face was priceless!"

"Oh yeah!" Raven says. "How's the hair-dye bit working out?"

"He's on assignment, so I haven't been able to do anything yet. Though I've already replaced his shampoo with the hair-dye."

"You have to get pictures!" Raven says. "I'm dying to see his face!"

"You like pranks?"

"Hell yeah!" Raven says.

She looks around the restaurant and spots a couple sitting by the window. They giggle happily and sip on a tall milkshake on the table between them. Raven turns back to Lavi and grins evilly. After seeing the couple's table, Lavi returns the grin and Raven gets up from her seat, sashaying over to the couple. As she gets closer the couple looks up from their milkshake in confusion.

"Hello," The girl says. "Is there something wr-"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Raven yells at the guy. Said guy stares wide eyed at her, utterly confused.

"What?" He asks.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Raven yells even louder. She wipes a few fake tears from her face and glares at the guy. The rest of the restaurant is silent.

"Who the hell are you?!" The guy yells.

"HOW COULD YOU?! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH!? I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING AND YOU TURN AROUND AND CRAWL TO THIS SKANK?!" Raven gestures to the guy's girlfriend. "YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER JACKASS! GO TO HELL!" Raven smacks the guy straight across the face, then she storms off back to her table.

"Who was that?!" The girlfriend asks. The guy stutters and her eyes narrow. Raven flinches when she hears another smack and the slam of the restaurant door.

"Lorraine!" The guy yells, running after her. Lavi laughs his head off at the table and Raven smirks, giving him a slight curtsey before sitting back down.

"You're evil!" Lavi yells.

"It's a gift." She says. "Ah, harassing strangers is so much fun." Lavi suddenly smiles at Raven like the Cheshire cat and she smiles back.

"I have an idea." He says. Her violet eyes gleam.

"Oh, do tell."

* * *

Two hours later there's a loud, bloodcurdling scream from the science division. There's a boom and a cloud of gray dust envelopes the whole area. Lavi runs out of the smoke with Raven right behind him. Their fingers interlock and huge grins are plastered on their faces.

"Get back here!" Komui yells from down the hallway.

"Oh crap!" Lavi says. His grip on her hand tightens. The deranged scientist sprints after them with angry fire in his eyes.

"He looks pissed!" Raven says. Lavi laughs and pulls them into a separate hallway.

"In here." Lavi says and slips inside a closet. Raven follows and closes the door behind them. Komui runs past their hiding place in a frenzy. Once the noise from his footsteps recedes, him and Raven lock eyes and burst into laughter.

"Did you see the look on their faces!?" Lavi says.

"That was so awesome!" Raven says. "You're a genius Lavi!"

"Oh, I know." Lavi says with a grin. Lavi cautiously opens the door a crack and peeks through. "I think he's finally gone now. Let's hurry!" Raven hurries to follow him out when there's a snap.

"Shit!" She says, glancing down at her feet.

"What?" Lavi asks.

"Oh, that sucks!" She says, examining her heels. One of the heels is snapped off; weaken from their previous run for their lives. "Damn," She says. "And I just got these too."

"That's a shame." Lavi says. He presses a hand to his chin thoughtful. He gets an idea and suddenly picks her up in his arms.

"Hey, what are you-?"

"You can't walk on a broken heel, now can you?" He asks with a smirk.

Raven grins back and wraps her arms around his shoulders. She stares up at his face. His lips are spread into a peaceful smile and his bright red hair covers the eye-patch over his right eye. Curiosity getting the better of her, she finds her fingers brushing the edge of the fabric and Lavi stops dead in his tracks. She flinches and pulls away.

"I'm sorry!" She says. "I just-"

"It's fine." He says. Lavi's quiet and noticing his reaction, Raven looks over at him, worried. His one green eye is dark and his mouth is scrunched up in a frown.

"Hey Lavi?" She asks. "You okay?" He glances down at her and slowly his grin returns.

"Oh, sorry." He says cheerfully. "I started spacing out there. I'm fine!" Raven frowns. She glances around at the other exorcists' rooms while Lavi silently carries her down the hall.

"Sorry." She suddenly says. Lavi glances down at her surprised. "We all have something we don't want the world to know. I can understand the need to lock it all away and pretend like everything is okay; living through a mask that only you can see. But just between you and me, I can spot a fake smile from a mile away."

Lavi's silent and he stops at a doorway that Raven recognizes from previous knowledge to be Robin and Kanda's room. He sets her down in front of the door and she unwraps her arms from around his neck.

"How did you know I wanted to go to Robin's room?" She asks with a small smile.

"Call it intuition." He says, returning the grin. Raven bites the bottom of her lip. She leans toward him and gently kisses his cheek.

"Thanks Lavi." She says. "It was fun." Lavi stares at her as she hobbles into her room and closes the door behind her. Lavi stares blankly at the door even after it closes.

"You know what I'm going to say." A voice says from behind him. Lavi turns around to face his mentor. Bookman narrows his eyes at his student, who frowns.

"I know, I know." Lavi says. "I won't let her affect my duties."

"Lavi," Bookman scolds.

"Enough, you old panda!" Lavi says. "I know the rules. We are Bookman. We observe and don't become involved with events or other people. You don't have to constantly remind me!"

"I forbid you to see her again." Bookman says and Lavi freezes. "As Bookman, we must detach ourselves from being emotionally involved with others. It will only be a hindrance should they disappear one day. Do you understand?"

Lavi's quiet with his back turned to his mentor. Bookman's eyes narrow.

"Do you understand?" He asks harshly.

"I understand." Lavi whispers. There's an uncomfortable silence as Lavi stalks off down the hallway. Bookman frowns, watching his apprentice. Lavi rounds the corner and sneaks off into his room. The door shuts and he leans his back against the closed door. He pulls a hand to the side of his face and a small smile escapes his lips.

"_We all have something we don't want the world to know. I can understand the need to lock it all away and pretend like everything is okay; living through a mask that only you can see. But just between you and me, I can spot a fake smile from a mile away."_

A warm droplet of water rolls down his cheek. It's the first tear he's shed in years.


	20. Chapter 20

**Warning: Steaminess ahead!**

* * *

Robin sighs and replaces a card from her hand. Allen raises an eye from his own stack of cards and frowns. She and Allen are in his room. Robin decided to take Allen up on his offer to hang out. They started a game of cards and Allen graciously offered to teach her some of his famous cheats, though she's been more than a little quiet.

"What's wrong?" Allen asks. She sighs again.

"I'm sorry Allen." She says. "I think I'm just tired." Allen nods. She smiles at him and his eyes relax.

"So how did Lavi and Raven's date go?" He asks.

"How do you think?" She responds.

The day after their date, Robin and Allen noticed the shift in Lavi's behavior. The red-head had become eerily quiet and spent most of his time lost in thought or buried in books at the Order's library. Raven hadn't said anything either. Robin asked her about it, but the dark-haired girl just said that she had fun and entered her own quiet state. Robin was grateful Raven no longer screamed inside her head, but she was worried for her friend. It isn't like her to be so quiet, though there isn't much she can do if Raven refuses to respond. She can't imagine the dark-haired girl moping for long, but to be safe she'll have to question Lavi about it later.

"What do you think happened?" Allen asks. She shakes her head.

"No clue." She says. She sighs again and glances outside the window. The sky is blue and clear. The sun cheerfully shines through the window indicating it's mid afternoon.

_I love you Robin._

Robin squeezes her eyes shut. Ten days.

Kanda has been gone ten days. It wasn't until the seventh day that the distance between them became too much to bear. Her and Kanda have never been separated for this long before. Whenever missions popped up, they would always leave together. Komui tended to pair them up, seeing how she was probably the only exorcist alive who Kanda would willingly work with. But now he's away without her. She spent as much time as she could with the other exorcists. Lenalee and most of the others have been away on missions and Lavi was nearly unreachable, so that left her with Allen.

Allen is always so nice to her. She felt bad thinking in such a way, but he's a good distraction. His presence eases the hollow lump that's been forming in her stomach ever since Kanda left. He's no Kanda, that's for sure, but it's a thousand times better than sitting alone in her dark, empty room.

"Are you okay Robin?" Allen asks. She opens her eyes and stares into a pair of light, gray orbs. His snow white hair falls against the sides of his face as he watches her with an expression of genuine concern.

"I miss Kanda." She says and his eyes fall.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Allen asks. Her own eyes fall and she drops the cards into a neat stack in front of her.

After all her meditating and thinking, she's finally decided on her answer. At first it scared her. Love is something she never thought she could ever experience or comprehend. She had spent her life resigned to loneliness and she was fine with that. She could handle the solitude, the quiet, the emptiness. But as soon as Kanda was gone, she could feel her heart pulse with pain. Being away from him hurt. It hurt in a way she had never experienced before and it was through that pain that she found her answer, resting in the confines of her heart.

"I love him." She answers.

Robin sighs and buries her head in her knees. "It's been ten days and he still isn't back. I have no idea when he'll return. I don't know what's happening. He could be coming home right now, or he could be in the middle of a fight. He could be in trouble. He could be losing and in a lot of pain. I don't know anything and I'm afraid. What if he doesn't come back?" She curls up tighter and feels a tear slip down her cheek.

"Okay stop it." Allen says, sitting down next to her. "Don't do that to yourself. Kanda is fine. He's not one to die easily. So don't worry. Kanda will be back, safe and sound, before you know it."

She sniffles and lifts her head to look at him. A line of tears streams down her face. Allen raises a hand and gently wipes away her tears. He gives her a warm smile and she rests her head against his shoulder. He blushes and Robin closes her eyes.

"Thank you Allen." She says. "You really are such a sweet boy." Another tear streams down her cheek and falls on his neck.

"No problem." He says.

* * *

Robin closes the door to her room shut. A dull noise echoes through the space and she frowns. The room is empty, just as she left it. She sighs and collapses on her bed. The mattress is hard and cold. She shifts, trying to get comfortable but she knows it's useless. Her eyes find their way to the other bed and she frowns.

Kanda.

She rips the blankets off herself and walks over to his bed. This is pathetic, she thinks to herself as she crawls under his sheets. It's barely been a week and she's already losing it. She buries her face in his blankets and allows his scent to surround her. It's a warm smell. Soft and intoxicating, like moonlight. Robin forces herself to relax.

_He's going to be back any second. Just you see. _

A tear slips down her face and she closes her eyes.

_Just you see._

* * *

Kanda grips his suitcase in one hand and a glowing orb of innocence in the other, finally back from his mission. After being forced to listen to Daisya's constant bantering for the last ten agonizing days, he was ready to kill something. All he wants now is to deliver the innocence to Komui and find Robin. Ten days without her was ten days too long.

He opens the door to Komui's office and his jaw drops. It looks like a bomb went off. Books and stacks of paper have been thrown all over the room mixed with piles of brightly colored confetti and multicolored silly-string. If that wasn't enough, written in bright red spray paint over Komui's desk are the words: "Lenalee is so pretty! Bwahahahaha! XOXOXO"

Kanda stares at the room, lost for words, when Reever suddenly emerges from the disaster scene.

"Oh hey Kanda." The scientist says. "Back from your mission?" Kanda nods and shows him the fragment of innocence.

"Good job." Reever says, taking the fragment from him. "I'll make sure Komui knows you've returned. That idiot ran off in a frenzy when the room nearly exploded. Some kind of prank." He motions to the mess. "I can pretty much guess who it was."

"Baka." Kanda says, thinking of the deranged rabbit. The samurai shakes his head and turns to leave.

Several finders pass him in the hallway, but Kanda ignores them. He wants one thing right now and that's to see Robin. His hand wraps around the doorknob to his room and he pulls the door open.

Lying curled up in his bed is Robin's sleeping form. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is slow and relaxed. Kanda sets his suitcase by the door and smirks. He takes a seat on the end of the bed and stares at her. She looks like an angel snuggling against his sheets. Her face is flushed and she lets out an occasionally quiet snore.

"...Kanda..." She murmurs, lost in a world of dreams. He smirks and leans down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead, careful not to wake her. As soon as Kanda debates letting her sleep, the bed shifts and Robin's eyelids flicker open.

"Hey there." Kanda says with a smirk. Robin blinks, then sits up, throwing her arms around him.

"Kanda!" She yells, burying her face into his chest. Kanda wraps his arms around her and brings his lips to the crown of her head.

"Did you miss me?" He asks. She nods.

"I couldn't sleep." She says. "I couldn't even think."

"Are you going to be okay?" He asks. She smiles.

"I will now."

Kanda smiles back and she presses her lips to his. Without wasting time, she parts her lips and allows his tongue to explore her mouth. Her hands run down his shirt, feeling the muscles carved into his chest through the fabric. Kanda's own hands migrate to her waist and she pulls away from the kiss to stare directly into his eyes.

"I love you." She whispers. "I love you Yuu Kanda."

Kanda's gaze softens and a light blush reaches his cheeks. He nuzzles the side of her neck and plants a warm kiss to the sensitive area of skin, causing her to shudder.

"And I love you Robin." He whispers against her ear.

Robin blushes and he bites down on her earlobe. She releases a sigh and runs her hands up his back. He moans and presses her back against the bed. They're eyes meet and he pauses. His eyes bore into hers, silently asking permission. Robin nods once and their lips lock again. The kiss starts slow then becomes rougher and deeper. His hands run up and down her legs then move to her inner thighs. Robin blushes and she tears at the fabric of his shirt, ripping off the buttons. Their mouths part for air and Kanda looks down at her with a smirk.

"Easy on the shirt." He says. Robin only smirks back and gazes at the tattoo along his exposed chest. Seeing the awe in her eyes, Kanda pulls off the rest of the shirt and undoes his hair, allowing his long blue locks to fall free. His hips press against hers and she blushes from their closeness. His hands slid up her shirt and under the wrap. She gasps at his touch and he closes the gape between their lips. This time Robin fights back, not wanting to be outdone. Their tongues clash in a battle of dominance, pulling back only to catch their breath.

When they meet again, Robin suddenly wraps herself around him and flips him on his back so she's on top. She pins his body to the bed and allows herself a small, satisfied smirk. Kanda's eyes glint with annoyance and he pulls her closer, attacking her neck. His mouth moves down to her shoulder and she shivers, savoring the feeling of his tongue running along her skin. He suddenly bites down and she moans. A warm hand reaches to unzip her pants and she blushes an even brighter red, but doesn't stop him.

"Kanda..." She murmurs and Kanda suddenly flips them over again. He leans down on her and she gives in, allowing him to win dominance.

"Damn." She mutters. Kanda grins.

"Will you be mine?" He asks. She places a hand to his chest, straight over his heart, as a smile reaches her lips.

"I already am."

* * *

**And the rest will be left to the imagination. ;) **

**Chapter 21 is already finished so please keep reading!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you guys for reading this story! I love getting feedback so please, please review!**

**Here's chapter 21. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

Robin's eyes blink open and she stares up at the ceiling. A smile reaches her lips. She feels warm and happy. Long rays of sunlight drape through their window and she wonders what time it is. She shifts and groans, automatically regretting it. Her body aches. Is it because of her innocence? Or...could it have been from...? Her face flushes and she grabs her nose as the memories of last night come flooding back. His warm hands running down her legs, his hot breath against her skin, the warm pulse of pain that felt oh so good...

Arms wrap themselves around her waist and she's met with a pair of dark eyes. She blushes under their stare. His lips curl into a grin and Kanda buries his face in her neck. His long, midnight blue hair falls in tangled strands across his bare skin. Robin's eyes slowly migrate down his neck and carefully carved chest. He notices her stare and smirks, making her blush redden. She's pretty sure by now her face is forever imprinted with a deep, red flush.

"Awake?" He asks. She leans into his warm body and smiles, temporarily ignoring the fact that they're both stark naked. His lips brush against her neck and she shivers. She snuggles up against his chest and wraps her fingers around a strand of his hair.

"I love your hair." She murmurs.

"I figured that." He says with a smirk.

"Oh shut it." She says. His lips brush against her ear and he hums, clearly enjoying himself.

"I have to give Raven some credit though." Kanda says. "She was right. You are no way near as innocent as you appear."

Robin blushes and turns her head so their eyes meet. His expression is peaceful, his eyes glowing brightly with something she can't truly and accurately describe. If she didn't know any better, she would say it was happiness.

"You didn't seem to mind last night." She says. He chuckles.

"No," He says. "No, I did not."

"So how was your mission?" She asks.

"Long." He answers. "I got stuck with Daisya. The baka refuses to shut up. If Marie hadn't gotten in the way, the fool would be ripped to shreds already." She chuckles, remembering Daisya from their beach encounter. Yeah, she thinks, she probably wouldn't miss him.

"Where did you guys go?"

"Japan." He says. "It took awhile to travel there. We only stayed for a couple days. Which reminds me," He shifts to stand and she whimpers, forced to lose her new favorite pillow. He strolls over to his exorcist jacket by the door and pulls out a small jewelry box.

"I got you something." He says, resettling on the bed. He sits so her back is to his chest and his chin can rest comfortably on her shoulder. Robin scans the box and tries to imagine what on earth he could have gotten. What could it be? A ring maybe? She blushes at the thought.

"You didn't have to." She says.

"I wanted to." He says. "Open it."

She glances at his smirk and reaches for the box. Slowly, with a smidgin of apprehension, she lifts off the top and her fingers brush against a necklace. It's made of black cord, twisted and weaved into an elaborate interlocking design. Weaved onto the cord is a single white square. At first she thought it was wood, but after further examination realizes it's actually bamboo. Engraved into the front is a set of characters.

"I realize it isn't as exciting as a diamond necklace." He says. She shakes her head and smiles huge. She wraps the necklace around her neck and Kanda fashions it in place.

"I love it." She says, one hand brushing the piece of bamboo. "What do the characters say?"

"Tenshi." He answers.

"What does that mean?" She asks.

"Something in Japanese." He answers. She pouts.

"Really?" She asks. "You're going to play that game?" He smirks and plants a kiss to the top of her head.

"You'll figure it out." He says. "After all, you're my chiisana tenshi."

"Chiisana tenshi?" She asks, careful to pronounce the words correctly. She pauses, thoughtful. "It isn't something perverted, is it?" Kanda rolls his eyes. "No baka." He says.

"So I'm tenshi now?" She asks. "Well, at least it beats Doe-Eyes." She pauses. "I think." He chuckles and their lips meet. When they pull away, Robin cuddles against him and runs her hand through his hair.

"Can I ask you something?" She asks.

"Of course." He says.

"You're friends with Lavi right?"

Kanda scowls. "I wouldn't call him a friend." He replies.

"But you talk to him." She says.

"Unfortunately."

"I think something happened between him and Raven." She says.

"Wait," Kanda says. "Baka usagi knows about you and Raven?"

"I don't think he knows we share a body, but they've met and he knows we're friends. Anyways, Lavi and Raven have both been incredibly quiet lately. I mean, eerily quiet. It's not like either of them at all. Plus, it happened right after their date-"

"Wait, date?!" Kanda asks.

"Yeah, those two went on a date together." She says. "Raven insisted so I figured why not?"

Kanda growls. "Robin." He warns, the arms around her tightening. She frowns.

"I don't understand what the problem is." She says.

"The problem is that you and Raven share the same body." Kanda says. "Even if Raven is in control, it's still your body and I refuse to share you with that baka."

"Possessive much?"

He frowns and gives her a look. Robin sighs.

"I'm not a huge fan of it either, mind you." She says. "But ever since Raven and I became friends she's always gone out of her way to look out for me. As a result, she's always pushed anyone else away. But for the first time she's trying to reach out to someone. I think she really likes Lavi and unless the rabbit is a complete idiot, he probably likes her too. Who am I to get between that? Besides, all I can think is what if it were us? What if I was trapped inside Raven and for whatever reason couldn't be with you? Everyone deserves a chance to be with the person they love. And frankly, Raven could do worse than Lavi."

"I still don't like it."

"Then it's a good thing it isn't your body." She says.

"You're going to allow it no matter what I say, aren't you?" He asks.

"I've made my decision." She says. Kanda sighs.

"Then I have no choice but to accept it."

"Yup." She says with a smile. "Will you help me?"

"I take it you have a plan."

"Of course." She says. "So you _are_ helping me?" He sighs.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope." She answers. He scowls. "Thank you Kanda."

"Che." He says and she smiles.

"I'm hoping we can talk to Lavi." She says. "He's probably floating around somewhere." She moves to get dressed and a pair of arms pull her back.

"Lavi can wait." He says. "We can go later."

She opens her mouth to protest and his hands run their way down her waist. His teeth sink down into the skin between her neck and shoulder and she gasps as electricity shoots down her spine. She moans, melting under his touch.

"Right." She says. "Later."

* * *

Once later had passed, Robin and Kanda finally get dressed. Robin stands in front of the bathroom mirror, showered and dressed. She glances into the mirror and frowns at the very red, very visible, marks along her neck. Worse yet, Kanda made sure to make them in the places where she has no way to hide them. Though, granted she hadn't really complained at the time either.

She steps out of the bathroom and waits for Kanda to pull his hair up. He grabs Mugen and turns to her, smirking when he sees the marks on her neck. Robin scowls at him.

"Hey," He says. "I didn't hear any complaints."

"How about I bite you and see how you like it?"

"Go for it." He says and she blushes, averting her eyes.

"Oh yeah, by the way, don't use your conditioner." She says. Kanda gives her an odd look.

"And why not?" He asks.

"Flamingo pink isn't really your color." She answers, opening the door for him. "Trust me." Kanda raises an eyebrow, but remains silent.

They leave their room and wander around the Orders' many hallways, searching for any sign of the red-head. It isn't until she and Kanda enter the cafeteria that they finally find him, sitting and happily chatting away with Allen. As they near the table, Allen notices them and smiles at Robin.

"Hey Robin." He says. "I see Bakanda is finally back."

"Watch it moyashi." Kanda growls. The two of them glare daggers at each other.

"So Lavi," Robin says, ignoring Allen and Kanda. "How are you?"

"I'm great." Lavi says with a grin. Robin's eyes narrow, not buying his facade for one second.

"So how was your date with Raven?" She asks, taking a seat next to him. Lavi shifts. She stares into his eye and for a split second sees a hint of sorrow, but it's quickly buried again.

"Good." Lavi says.

"Just good?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it was fun and all, but I'm not sure if it'd work." He says. "She's a great girl, but I'm not too sure about her, you know?" She nods, letting his answer sink in.

"It's too bad." She says. "You two would make a cute couple."

Lavi looks away. There's the same flicker of emotion in his one green eye. It lasts for a brief moment, then disappears again. Robin opens her mouth to speak, when there's a loud squeak from behind her. She turns around to find Allen against the table with Mugen carefully placed by his throat. Kanda growls angrily at the white-headed exorcist.

"What did you say, baka moyashi?!" Kanda seethes.

"Did you not hear me Bakanda?" Allen yells back. "Maybe you ought to clean out those ears of yours. Or are you just too stupid to understand me?" Kanda twitches with anger and Robin sighs.

"I leave you alone for five seconds and this is what happens." She says.

She moves to Kanda's side and places a gentle hand to his wrist. Before he can argue she presses their lips together and slides her tongue into his warm, awaiting mouth. Kanda's grip loosens and she wraps her arms around his neck, digging her nails into his back. He releases a low moan and she smirks, proud by how well she can get to him. And who wouldn't get a huge power trip from making the usually stoic Kanda thoroughly flustered and writhing with desire?

Feeling eyeballs on her, she pulls away and glances around the cafeteria, noticing Allen, Lavi, and many of the other finders watching them. She hears a cat-call from the other side of the room and blushes. Kanda growls at them and sheathes Mugen. The others probably couldn't see it. After all, Kanda is good at concealing his emotions, but Robin can spot the twinge of lust in his eyes and it makes her smirk.

"Huh." Lavi says, breaking the room's silence. "So that's how you calm Yuu down. Though, judging by all those hickeys it must be one hell a double-edge sword." Robin's face flushes.

"Shut up baka usagi." Kanda growls. Before Kanda can chop the rabbit's head off, a figure suddenly appears out of the mass of beige finder coats and Robin smiles at the familiar face.

"Reever." She says. The others turn to glance at the blonde scientist.

"There you guys are." Reever says. "Komui wanted to see you all in his office."

"All of us?" Allen asks. The scientist nods.

The four exorcists exchange looks then proceed to exit the cafeteria and head toward Komui's office. Reever leads the way with Allen and Lavi near the front and her and Kanda following behind.

"Did you have to get into an argument?" She asks. Kanda scowls.

"That baka moyashi doesn't know when to shut his mouth." He growls.

"What did he even say?" She asks. Kanda's quiet. She turns to look at him. "Well?" She asks.

"He called you pretty." He grumbles. She throws a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh and he glares at her.

"I love you." She says with a smile.

"Shut up, baka tenshi." He says. Robin frowns.

"I'm starting to like Doe-Eyes better." She says. "Why can't you just tell me what it means?" Kanda smirks.

"Why can't you leave my mouth alone?" He asks.

Robin nearly chokes. So many dirty thoughts churn through her mind. _Wait, what the hell is wrong with me? I'm turning into Raven!_ She shakes her head. Geez, Kanda has to be corrupting her. Well, actually technically he has..._Stop it Robin!_

Kanda chuckles at her red face and she glares at him.

"I'll warn you now." He says. "Get too cocky and I'll have to do something about it."

"Whatever do you mean?" She asks, feigning innocence.

A hand suddenly slams her against the hallway. Robin gasps as Kanda presses her against the wall. Hard. Robin starts to complain when his dark eyes bore their way into hers, instantly silencing her. His eyes glint dangerously and she shudders against his hold.

"Push your luck and I'll make sure you can't walk for a week." He whispers.

She gulps. His stare is dead serious and she knows he isn't kidding. He would never endanger her life or seriously harm her, but that doesn't mean he's above using force. Personally, she suspected he was still pissed over her beating him during their vacation at the mansion. Besides, she was having a bit too much fun teasing him.

"Yes Kanda." She squeaks. He smirks and plants a kiss on her forehead.

"Good tenshi." He says and releases his grip. Reever and Allen gape at them, mortified.

"Uh," Reever starts and falls silent, wisely choosing to hold back any words he might say. Allen looks away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Che." Kanda says, ignoring their stares and stalking down the hallway. Lavi laughs.

"Who's uke now?" Lavi asks with a smirk. Robin sighs.

"Still me." She grumbles and follows behind Kanda.

* * *

As soon as Reever and the rest of the exorcists enter Komui's office they're greeted by a huge mass of destruction. Paper and books are thrown every which way. The whole floor is covered, including the usually vacant sofa by the desk. And the desk, well, as soon as Robin reads the happily spray painted words sprawled over his desk, she has to use all her will-power to keep from bursting into laughter. Lavi chuckles next to her, while Allen gapes. Reever and Kanda appear unaffected by the mess and the samurai silently clears a spot on the sofa for himself. Lavi and Allen sit down as well, and Robin frowns, realizing there's no room for her. Kanda looks over at her and reaches for her wrist. Scared that he's still mad at her, she pulls away only to be grabbed by the waist and made to sit on his lap. Her face flushes and he pulls her closer with his arms protectively wrapped around her.

"Aww, you two are so cute." Lavi says. "Yuu really loves his tenshi."

Kanda growls with annoyance and Robin's eyes widen.

"You know what it means?" She asks.

"Of course." Lavi says. "I am the future Bookman after all."

"You have to tell me!" She says. "Kanda refuses to say!"

Lavi glances over at his friend's death glare and gulps, chuckling nervously. "I think I'll let Yuu decide that one." Lavi answers. "Believe it or not, I do enjoy living."

"I had no idea." Kanda mutters. Robin pouts.

"So unfair." She says.

"Hey Chief." Reever says. He glances under Komui's desk and frowns. "Come on, I brought the four of them here." There's a low groan and Reever sighs. "Hey Chief," He whispers. "I heard about Lenalee. Apparently she's getting married."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Komui yells, jumping up from under his desk. "NOT MY PRECIOUS LENALEE! I MUST KILL THAT FLITHY OCTOPUS!" He pulls out a large bazooka and everyone jumps.

"Holy shit!" Robin yells, grabbing hold of Kanda. There's a loud whack and the purple-haired scientist grabs his head in pain.

"What was that for?!" Komui whines at Reever. Reever coughs and motions to the four exorcists. Komui blinks once then lowers the bazooka. He readjusts his glasses and takes a seat behind his desk. "So, on with the mission outline." He says cheerfully.

Lavi and Allen release a breath of relief. Kanda growls, annoyed, and Robin glances down at him, realizing she still has a death grip on a strand of blue hair.

"Oh crap!" She yells, letting the strand go and attempting to brush it out. "I'm so so sorry Kanda!" Kanda's jaw clenches and he lets out an angry sigh.

"You're lucky you're cute." He mutters.

"I have a new mission for you four." Komui says. "We have received reports of possible traces of innocence in London. Meaning, there will most likely be akuma there as well. The innocence appears to be located inside a large manor along the outskirts of the city. Seeing how the manor is currently inhabited by a wealthy viscount, retrieving it may prove troublesome. Luckily the viscount is holding a ball a day from now which will give you four the perfect opportunity. I want you all to investigate. This is a mission only you four can accomplish."

"Why us specifically?" Allen asks.

"Yeah." Robin says. "I mean, I thought I was still on suspension."

The scientist's glasses glint evilly and he laughs. Robin feels a shiver run down her spine and the others, minus Kanda, all cower with her in fear.

"Because you see," Komui says. "The ball is couples only. And unfortunately, all of the female exorcists are gone on missions. So Robin and Allen," Komui signals Reever, who rolls up a rack of colorful, ruffled dresses. "What are your dress sizes?"

Lavi erupts into laughter while Allen and Robin's jaws drop. Kanda smirks underneath her and she growls at him.

"Robin, I believe, is a seven." Lavi says with a grin. Everyone gives him a "WTF?" stare and the red head smiles and points to his uncovered eye.

"I have a good eye." He says.

"And just where have you been looking?" Kanda growls.

"I've memorized the measurements of nearly every exorcist with the Order." Lavi answers. At the word measurements, Robin instantly pulls her arms around her chest and blushes. A vein ticks on the corner of Kanda's forehead and he reaches for Mugen.

"Wait, wait, wait." Allen says, momentarily interrupting Kanda from killing Lavi. "Why do Robin and I have to wear the dresses?! Why not Lavi and Bakanda here?! I mean Kanda's practically a woman already!"

Kanda switches his gaze from the red head and growls at the white-haired boy.

"Oh boy," Lavi says, chuckling. "Who's going to explain this one to our naïve, little moyashi?"

"My name is Allen!" He yells.

"Well," Komui says. "You see, you and Robin are the noticeably shorter out of the group. The girl can't be taller or it will arouse suspicion. Besides, I don't think we could get Kanda in a dress."

Kanda death glares the scientist at the mere thought of it and Robin blushes, envisioning him in a long, flowing Cinderella gown. A trickle of blood runs down her nose and she quickly grabs the bridge of her nose. Kanda shoots a glare her way and she blushes, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I realize I put you on suspension Robin." Komui says. "However, we are so low on exorcists these days that I don't have a choice but to send you out. I still want you to avoid activating your innocence as much as you can manage, but there's nothing else I can do. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry." Lavi says with a smile. "Me and Yuu will keep an eye on him."

"You can keep your eye off him." Kanda growls. Allen frowns.

"I can protect him too." Allen says.

"You can barely fight as is." Kanda growls. "Let alone in a dress."

"How hard can it be?" Allen says.

Robin chuckles. "You'd be surprised." She says and the rest of the exorcists give her an odd look. "What?"

"Anyways," Komui says. "You four will be going in pairs. I'll let you sort out who on your own."

"I call dibs on Robin!" Lavi says. The redhead wraps his arms around Robin, who frowns.

"Lucky me." She mutters, but not before Kanda pries her away and points Mugen at the rabbit's throat.

"Hey!" Lavi says, holding up his hands. "It's just a mission!"

"Touch him and I'll kill you." He growls. "Look at him the wrong way and I'll kill you. So much as take one unnecessary breath out of line and-"

"Wait," Robin interrupts. "Let me guess, you'll smother him alive with rainbows and gumdrops from your magical candy unicorn?"

Kanda scowls. "That's it." He says. "You're sleeping by yourself from now on."

Robin's jaw drops. "What?!" She says. "You can't do that!"

"Ha!" Lavi laughs. "Looks like Robin's in the dog house!"

"Kanda!" She whines. "Who am I going to snuggle with now?!"

"I don't know, baka." Kanda says with an evil smirk. "I guess you'll have to make do."

Lavi smirks. "Might I suggest a pet rabbit?"

Robin and Kanda snarl at the red head who shivers from the combined death glare.

"You could try a cat too." Lavi says. "Cats can be pretty cuddly."

"Fine." Robin says, pouting. "Have it your way. Come on Lavi." Kanda's eyes widen as she reaches for the rabbit.

"Sweet." The red head says, cheerfully following her toward the door.

"Where are you going, baka?!" Kanda yells.

"I have a dress to put on!" She yells over her shoulder. She turns to him and scowls. "Bakanda." Kanda's eyes flash with anger and Robin quickly slams the door shut before his fingers can wrap around Mugen. Or her neck.

* * *

**Because I know someone will probably ask, tenshi is Japanese for angel. Chiisana tenshi=little angel. (At least according to the internet) So yes, Kanda called Robin an angel. :) Hehe.**

**Thank you again for reading! And please let me know what you think!  
**


	22. Chapter 22

Robin lets out a long sigh.

Well, this _was_ her plan.

Lavi's one green eye scans the ballroom for any signs of the glowing green fragment of innocence. So far they haven't seen anything, merely more and more couples wandering around the manor all decked out for the night. Lavi has on a classic black and white tuxedo with a bright red rose on his jacket. His bandana is gone, letting his red hair fall against his eye patch. Robin wears a floor length, blood red gown with one sleeve wrapping around her shoulder all the way to her back. Stitched into the fabric are pieced together roses made with black lace and she wears matching black gloves. Her bra is obviously stuffed and she wears more than an enjoyable amount of makeup. For shoes she has her "favorite" four inch high, red stiletto heels. It's a miracle she hasn't tripped and broken her neck already.

"_I'm surprised you've been so quiet." _

She waits a second for a response, but Raven is quiet. Robin grits her teeth.

"_Hey! I'm doing this for you! I'm in a freaking dress with makeup and heels! The least you can do is say hi or something! I mean, come on, not even one creative or snarky remark?!"_

Nothing.

From across the dance floor there's a loud crash and a lot of yelling. Robin sighs again and wobbles over to Lavi's side, grimacing from the dress' ridiculous weight.

"Look's like those two are getting along." Lavi comments.

Robin watches Allen's face scrunch into a scowl. A long, ice blue dress wraps around the short exorcist's form and falls to his feet. Unlike her dress, Allen's has long blue sleeves and a high neckline that successfully covers his chest. His bra is also stuffed (Obviously) and along the blue fabric are bright, glimmering jewels that form into snowflakes. On his feet are silver heels that match is eyes and make his snow white hair pop, along with light blue eye shadow, pink blush, volumizing mascara and bubblegum pink lipstick. Robin smirks. And she thought she had it bad.

"Allen is like a snowflake princess." Lavi says, chuckling. Robin nods in agreement. She has to admit, the white-haired boy does pull it off. He probably looks better in a dress than she does. Robin pauses. Maybe she should be worried.

"Shut up, Bakanda!" Allen yells. She hears a loud growl and turns her attention to the seething samurai escorting said snow princess. Kanda wears a similar plain black and white tuxedo to Lavi. His long hair is free and falls in blue crescendos along his back. A single white rose is pinned to his jacket and his face is painted with an angry scowl. He raises a nearby plate of some kind of cake and readies his aim.

"Oh shit." Lavi says.

"Yo asshole!" She yells across the room to Kanda, getting a few odd looks from some of the other guests. The two of them pause and snap their attention to her. "Don't you dare ruin that dress!"

Kanda growls at her and Allen twitches with annoyance.

"I thought you two were supposed to be a happy, lovey-dovey couple?" Lavi asks.

"Shut up baka usagi!" Kanda and Allen yell back.

"Maybe they need to see an example?" Robin suggests. Lavi smirks and nods.

"Sounds good." He says. "Shall we?"

He bows and offers her a hand. Robin curtsies back and takes it, allowing him to lead her toward the dance floor. Lavi places a hand to her waist and leads her into a waltz. She rests her free hand on his shoulder and focuses on trying to keep from tripping over her heels. They dance past Allen and Kanda and Robin physically feels waves of hatred radiating off the dark-eyed samurai. She knows Kanda is pissed. Probably to the point where he's homicidal. Wait, who is she kidding with probably?

Robin meets his angry gaze and she smirks, making sure to stick her tongue out at him. She watches him twitch and quickly breaks eye contact. If it weren't for this plan of hers she would be running for the hills right now. She's finally going to get some answers out of the rabbit. She knows she can only do that if she's alone with him, and the only way to do that without arousing the rabbit's suspicion is to make it seem like she and Kanda are fighting. She can use her desire to piss off the samurai as an excuse to pair up with Lavi for the night, hopefully resulting in getting the truth out of the red head. She feels slightly bad for using Kanda is such a way, but it's not her fault he's so easily angered. Plus, he did technically agree to it.

"Hey Lavi," Robin says with a sweet smile. "Mind if we find somewhere to sit down? These shoes are killing me." Lavi nods and leads her away from the main floor to a secluded part of the manor. They find a comfortable looking couch and take a seat. Robin sighs and Lavi hums cheerfully. _Now's as good a chance as any._

"So Lavi?" Robin asks. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." Lavi says.

"What happened between you and Raven? And please don't give me the whole 'It just didn't work' spiel. I've known Raven for years. I know you two are perfect for each other."

Lavi sighs and hits his head against the sofa, muttering to himself.

"Bakanda." He says. "That was a nice touch. So this is your plan?"

"Please tell me what happened." She says.

"Nothing happened." He says.

"Then why have you two been so quiet?" She challenges. Lavi lets out a sigh and turns away.

"I've been busy." He says, gritting his teeth.

"Lavi..."

"Look!" He snaps. "It's none of your business, alright?! Just drop it already! I don't get why it matters so much to you!"

Robin's quiet.

"Lavi," She says. "I'm a girl."

Lavi snaps his attention to her. She returns his gaze and smiles.

"I grew up hiding my gender." She continues. "I used to live in this god awful orphanage with a bunch of kids that always tried to mess with me. They made fun of me and picked on me. I remember one time they held me down and cut off all my hair. I never fought back. I hated that place. I hated it so much. No one ever cared about me. I used to wonder what would happen if I disappeared. I wondered if anyone would even notice."

"Robin." Lavi whispers.

"But then I met Raven." She says, wiping away the tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. "She was the first person to ever acknowledge my existence. The first to ever say a nice word. She stood up for me."

* * *

"_Hey, why are you crying?" A voice says from behind. Robin spins around and glances at the strange little girl leaning over her. She has long black hair and deep violet eyes. Her eyes lock on Robin's uneven tufts of brown hair, recently chopped away. _

"_What happened to your hair?" The girl asks. She reaches out a hand to her._

"_Leave me alone!" Robin yells, knocking away the hand. "Just leave me alone!" She curls herself into a ball and tries her best to fight the sobs raking across her body. Raven frowns._

"_Who did this to you?" She asks, hoping to get an answer out of the girl._

_Suddenly a twig snaps and her violet eyes glare at the gang of kids surrounding them. The tallest boy takes a step away from the others._

"_What do you want Henry?" Raven growls._

"_None of your business Raven." Henry sneers. "Now get out of my way."_

"_Bite me." Raven responds._

_The gang leader and violet-eyed girl have an all-out glaring match. _

"_You did this to her?" Raven asks, motioning to Robin's chopped off hair._

"_So what?" Henry asks. "What's a little girl like you gonna do?"_

_Raven's fists tighten and she lunges at the boy. She punches and claws at him, not even stopping when she starts to see red. Henry struggles and tries to fight back, but Raven grabs his arm and digs her teeth in. He screams bloody murder and Raven gets thrown back. Henry sniffles then makes a run for it, crying off in the distance. The rest of his pack follow, cowering in fear._

"_Cowards." Raven says, licking the blood off her lips. Robin glances at her, wide eyed._

"_Don't hurt me!" Robin yells, shying away from her. Raven frowns and rolls her eyes._

"_My name is Raven. What's yours?"_

"_Robin." _

_Raven's eyes light up. "Hey, Robin, Raven. That's kind of cool!"_

"_What?" Robin asks._

"_You know, our names?" Raven says. "Robin and Raven? Like the birds?" Robin frowns and Raven sweat drops._

"_Geez, everyone's a critic." She mutters. "Anyways, let me fix your hair." She offers her hand again. Robin stares at it, motionless. Raven sighs._

"_Oh, come on." She says. "I'm not going to bite you."_

"_Why not?" Robin asks. "You seem to enjoy it." Raven chuckles._

"_Clever." Raven says. "Yup. You and me are gonna be good friends."_

"_Friends?" Robin asks, confused. _

"_Don't you know what a friend is?" Raven asks. Robin shakes her head. _

"_I've always been alone." Robin says. "My family never wanted me. Why would someone ever want to be my friend?"_

_Raven smiles._

"_I guess I'll just have to show you."_

* * *

"Raven is my friend." Robin says, staring straight at Lavi. "She is my best friend. I owe her so much. I can say with complete certainty that if it wasn't for her, I would never be here now. Up until a few days ago I thought she was dead. But she isn't. She's right here." Robin point to her heart. "She's always been here. Raven and I share a body. I don't know the specifics of how it happened, but her soul is trapped inside me and sometimes we get switched out. I can hear her through my thoughts. I can read her emotions. That's why I refuse to sit back and watch her lose the first person besides me she's ever opened up to. I can feel Raven's heart. I know she cares for you. And by watching you the last couple days, I know you feel the same. You like each other. Right Raven?"

Robin smiles and closes her eyes. A tear slides out of the corner of her eye and Robin's brown hair darkens to black.

"Raven?" Lavi asks, shocked. Raven's violet eyes open and she stares into Lavi's one green eye. She offers him a weak smile.

"Tada." She says and another tear escapes. Lavi's gaze softens and he raises a hand to brush away her tears. He shuts his eye and rests his head against her shoulder.

"I am a complete and utter jackass." Lavi says. "I'm so sorry Raven."

"It's okay." She says. Lavi shakes his head.

"No, it's not." He says. "I-" He pauses. "Robin is right. He-I mean she, is right. I do really like you Raven." Another tear slips out of her eye and she smiles.

"But?" She says. Lavi sighs.

"But I'm a Bookman." Lavi says. "I'm forbidden from being with you. A Bookman has to detach themselves from others and observe events without becoming involved."

"I understand." Raven whispers.

"_Raven! Oh, for Chirst's sake! If you give up this easily, so help me God-"_

Raven smiles.

"_**I wasn't done, idiot."**_

She meets Lavi's gaze. "I understand, however, I can't accept it." She shakes her head. "I can't accept it at all. Did you honestly just expect me to be okay with it? I'm not an idiot. I'm aware it won't be easy, but I at least want to try. Can't we at least give it a shot?"

Lavi sighs. "Okay." He whispers. He nods his head. Raven bursts into a huge smile. Lavi smiles back and stands up. Raven raises an eyebrow and he smirks, giving her a bow.

"Would the lady care for a dance?" Lavi asks, extending a hand. Raven smirks back.

"Don't mind if I do. Though before we go..." Raven closes her eyes and her hair and eyes change to mirror Robin's. Lavi smiles at her, surprised.

"That's convenient." Lavi says. He helps her to her feet and they head to the dance floor.

* * *

Hidden around a corner, Kanda shakes his head. That little...He leans back against the wall and sighs.

"Damn it Bakanda!" Allen yells, running up to him. His face is flushed from running in the heavy blue dress.

"What do you want moyashi?" Kanda growls.

"Allen!" He yells. "A-L-L-E-N! And I swear if one more person grabs my ass, just one more time, I'm going to kill something!"

Kanda chuckles and Allen growls in annoyance.

"Did you find the innocence?" Kanda asks. Allen holds up the glowing fragment so he can see it.

"Hurry up and get those two so we can leave already." Allen grumbles. Kanda scans the dance floor and watches Lavi and Raven laugh. He sighs, thinking of Robin and how much she would beg him to let them enjoy the night.

"_Who am I to get between that? Besides, all I can think is what if it were us? What if I was trapped inside Raven and for whatever reason couldn't be with you? Everyone deserves a chance to be with the person they love."_

He glances one more time at the pair and groans. He must be getting soft.

"They can have one more dance." He mutters. "One more dance then we're getting out of here."

Allen groans and stares at the two of them.

"I don't suppose you'd want to dance?" Allen asks.

Kanda growls at him and Allen sighs.

"Right."


	23. Chapter 23

**Here's the next chapter! I really appreciate all the reviews and support! I'm going to try to reply more to reviews from now on. If I get too annoying feel free to mentally whack me in the head! :) Or just tell me. Either way is fine, but the former may not work. Hehe...**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! And please leave a review!**

* * *

Kanda flips the page to his book and sighs. His eyes snap over to the alarm clock, which reads 11:23 PM. He growls and glares angrily over at Robin's empty bed, trying his hardest to keep from grabbing Mugen and storming off down the hall.

The door to their room opens and he hears their laughter. Control, Kanda thinks, control. Lavi leads Robin through the door and closes it behind her. As soon as no one can see, Raven drops her disguise, revealing her black hair and violet eyes.

"You're late." Kanda snaps. Raven rolls her eyes and takes a seat on Robin's bed.

"No, we're not." Lavi says. He grins and falls back on Robin's bed next to her, making her giggle.

"Yeah, chill Ponytail." Raven says. "Lavi has me until 11:30."

"No." Kanda growls. "You were supposed to be back by 11."

"Not on Tuesday." Lavi corrects. "Today is Tuesday so that means I get an extra half hour."

"Bullshit." Kanda says, glaring at the rabbit.

"I gave you the schedule." Lavi says. "It should be on it."

"This is complete bullshit!" Kanda growls. "I'm not sharing Robin with you!"

"Why don't you tell Robin that?" Raven says, grinning. Kanda scoffs.

"Besides," Lavi says. "You get the better times. I still wish you'd let her stay one day overnight."

"Hell no." Kanda says. Raven pouts.

"Come on," She says. "It's not like Robin's a virgin anymore."

A vein ticks on the corner of his forehead and he glares at her and the rabbit.

"Don't be so hard Yuu." Lavi says.

"Don't call me that!"

Raven's eyes suddenly light up. She smirks and chuckles evilly. Lavi notices the smile and smirks back.

"I know that look." Lavi says. "Spill it sexy."

"Foursome!" Raven yells cheerfully. Lavi laughs.

"NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL!" Kanda yells.

"Come on!" Raven says, laughing. "What about you Robin?" She smirks evilly. "What was that again? Yes?" Her and Lavi exchange a look and burst into laughter.

"_NO! What are you trying to do to me?!"_

"_**What's your problem?"**_

"_Kanda is going to kill me! That's what!"_

"_**Relax, I won't let that idiot try-"**_

A metallic edge shimmers near Raven's eyes and she gulps. She's beginning to really hate that stupid sword of his. Mugen flashes near her throat and she chuckles. Kanda's dark eyes burn into hers and his jaw tightens, letting out a feral growl.

"Right." Raven says. "Well, it is getting late. Maybe we should call it a night Lavi?"

"Yeah." Lavi says, nodding to the angry Kanda. He "ches" and pulls the katana away from her neck. Lavi turns to her and smiles.

"Well, it was fun." Lavi says. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Raven says. They lean closer together until their lips touch. Lavi chuckles and she pulls them deeper into the kiss. Kanda growls and glances at the clock.

"11:32." He mutters. Raven sighs and they separate with Lavi heading toward the door. The red head pauses and smiles to Raven.

"Night Raven." Lavi says. "Night Yuu."

"Goodnight Lavi." Raven says.

Kanda glares at the rabbit and the door closes. Raven sighs and falls back on the bed with a peaceful smile spread across her lips.

"Raven." Kanda growls.

"Yeah, yeah." She mutters and closes her eyes. A second later, Robin's hair is normal and her golden eyes blink open. Robin groans and covers her mouth.

"Why do they have to do that?" Kanda grumbles. "It's disgusting." She gags and rolls over to her side.

"Hey, you okay?" Kanda asks, concerned.

"Rabbit...tongue...mouth."

She groans again and runs into the bathroom, searching for something to burn her tongue off with.

"The mouthwash is in the medicine cupboard." He says back, reopening his book.

Robin reaches for the bottle of liquid and tries to block out the feeling of the red head's tongue slithering across her mouth. She groans and grabs the nearest bar of soap, viciously scrubbing the length of her tongue. Once her mouth feels somewhat cleaner, she slips out of the bathroom, feeling sick. She sighs and crawls over next to Kanda, still preoccupied with his reading.

"In case you forgot, your bed is over there." Kanda growls, pointing to her abandoned and lonely bed on the opposite side of the room. Robin whimpers.

"You're still mad?" She asks. "I've already apologized as much as I possibly can."

"I know." He says. He pulls the book up higher and she frowns.

"Kanda."

"I already know you did it to get those two together." He says.

"I'm sorry." She says, looking away.

"I know."

"It was just-" She starts.

"I _know,_ baka." Kanda says. "I just wish you had thought to tell me before running off and telling Lavi everything."

"You heard?" She asks. Kanda nods. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." He says. His eyes bore their way into hers and he frowns.

"Oh." She says.

Kanda sighs and tosses his book aside. "How long did you want to die?" He asks. Robin frowns and looks away.

"A while." She answers. "But it changed when I met Raven."

"What about after?" He asks. Robin scoffs and turns to look at him. His eyes watch her, completely serious.

"Come on Kanda," She says. "I'm sure everyone gets like that at some point."

"Robin..."

She sighs. "Fine. Yes dammit." She says. "Did I think about suicide while I lived on the streets? Yeah. I used to think about it everyday. But I was completely by myself, with nothing to call my own, and my one and only best friend was supposedly dead. I'm not like that anymore. I would never attempt that kind of thing. Even if everyone found out my secret and you end up hating me. I made a promise not to run away and I'll keep it."

"I would never hate you." Kanda says. "You need to know that I'll love you no matter what happens."

"So you don't hate me?" She asks.

"No." He says. "I'm mad, but I don't hate you."

"So can I sleep with you now?" She asks. Kanda sighs.

"Sorry baka." He says. Robin frowns.

"Oh come on," She says. "I tell you I wanted to die and you decide to make me sleep alone?"

"Karma's a bitch." He says with a shrug. Robin sighs.

"It's not the only one." She mutters, careful not to let him hear.

"I heard that." He says. Robin flinches. _Damn that samurai's hearing. _She turns to him and pulls out her puppy-dog eyes. Kanda ignores her and reaches for his book again. Seeing the movement she reaches for it first and snatches it out of his hands.

"Robin." He warns. Robin smirks and sits on his lap, keeping the book out of his reach.

"Please Kanda?" She pleads. "I don't think I can fall asleep without you."

"No." He says. His eyes flash with anger and she sighs. She knows she won't win against him, not when he's this mad. She pouts and hands him the book, trudging over to her bed. She plops down on the mattress and shivers against the cold sheets. She whimpers and pulls the blanket over her, keeping her back turned away from him.

"Oh yeah," She says. "Can you entertain yourself tomorrow?"

"Again?" Kanda asks. "Sure, but what exactly are you up to?"

"Stuff." She answers. Kanda rolls his eyes and pulls his blankets over himself.

She smirks, but doesn't let Kanda see it. For the last three days she's been sneaking away from him to see Lavi. The red head had very graciously offered to help her with a new song for the violin. She already had the melody down, but the lyrics have been giving her a hard time. Thankfully, the multilingual rabbit can read them and help her with pronunciation. Kanda has no clue of her daily ventures to the rabbit's room and she plans on keeping it that way. She's going to surprise him with the song on his birthday, which just so happens to be the day after tomorrow. She heard about it from Reever, of all people, and was a little annoyed that Kanda hadn't told her himself. Of course she already got him a present. It was currently packed away in her violin case.

Lavi has been more than happy to help her. After all it is because of her that he's able to be with Raven. Those two ended up establishing a secret relationship, hidden from Lavi's mentor Bookman and the rest of the Order. The only ones who know about them are her and Kanda. Since she and Raven share a body, they've had to schedule who gets to spend time with whom. Kanda, of course, hated the whole idea, but it's the only way for it to work. She groans, thinking of their kiss. The things she does for friendship.

"Night Kanda." She says.

"Night tenshi." He says. Robin growls and she hears him chuckle. She huffs and wraps her sheets tighter around herself. It's going to be a long night without Kanda. She shuts her eyes and lets her body float off to sleep.

* * *

Robin wakes up with her head dangling off one side of the bed. Her neck burns from the uncomfortable position and her legs tingle from having fallen asleep. She groans and shifts right-side up on the floor, hitting her head against the bed in the process. She rips away the sheets and looks over at Kanda's bed. He's gone. Probably training, Robin figures, since Mugen is missing as well.

Robin rubs her now throbbing head and checks the alarm clock. She reads the time and swears. It's nearly noon. Lavi must be wondering where on earth she is. She runs to her dresser and changes in a frenzy, making sure to grab her violin case. If she's quick she might be able to grab something to eat. Right on cue, her stomach grumbles and she sighs, heading toward the cafeteria.

When she enters the cafe, she's surprised to find it nearly deserted. There are a couple finders scattered at different places throughout the room, but besides them its practically empty. Well, almost. Robin spots a head of white and smirks. Of course Allen would be here.

She orders her food from Jerry and somehow manages to carry the plates over to his table. Allen glances up and, seeing her, breaks into a cheerful smile.

"Hey Robin." He says. "I was wondering where you were this morning."

"I overslept." She says. "I actually just woke up." She takes a seat opposite him and starts digging into her first dish. Cheesy scrambled eggs with toast and fruit salad. She takes a bite out of a strawberry and purrs with happiness.

"I'm surprised Kanda didn't wake you up." Allen says.

"He's still pissed over the last mission." She answers.

"Still?" Allen asks. Robin sighs.

"Yeah." She says. "I must say, I'm impressed. He can hold a grudge for a pretty long time."

"That must suck for you." He says.

"Yup." She answers. She takes another bite of her food. "But it's okay though. After tomorrow I'll have a happy Kanda all to myself."

"Why tomorrow?"

"It's his birthday." She says with a smile. She motions to her violin case. "Lavi's been helping me with a new song I'm going to sing for him. I already got his present. I hope he likes it."

"Are you guys throwing him a party?" Allen asks.

"I was thinking about it." She says. "But then again, Kanda isn't really fond of parties, or celebrations, or really people for that matter."

"Ain't that the truth." Allen says.

"I was just going to take him out for the day." She says. "Somewhere quiet where we can just relax and hang out."

"That will be nice." Allen says. She nods. She stuffs the last bit of food into her mouth and smiles.

"Lavi's probably waiting for me so I have to go."

"Well, see ya." Allen says.

She nods and carries her plates back to Jerry then starts heading to Lavi's room. She half walks, half runs down the hallways and stops in front of a door. She goes to knock, when the door opens by itself. Standing in the doorway is a short, older man in an exorcist uniform. Two black ovals surround his eyes and a patch of hair sticks up in the shape of a question mark.

"Oh hello Bookman." Robin says, moving aside for Lavi's mentor.

"Hello Robin." Bookman answers. "I take it you have business with Lavi?"

"Yeah." She says. She holds up the violin case for him to see. "Lavi's one of the only one's who can translate these lyrics for me. I hope I'm not being a bother."

"If Lavi is okay with it, then it's fine." He says. "Though if I may, I've noticed you two have been spending a great deal of time together."

Robin chuckles and gives him a smile. "What can I say?" She says. "Lavi's a nice guy and he knows a lot about history and the world. I actually really enjoy hearing about past events."

She watches Bookman's gaze soften. It's slight, very slight, but she can almost make out a faint grin.

"I just wish to remind us of our duties." Bookman says. Any hint of the grin is gone and Robin nods. Before leaving down the hall, Bookman pauses.

"If it's historic events you're after, I can perhaps lend you some references." He says. Robin stares at him, taken off guard. She quickly recovers and smiles, nodding her head.

"I'd appreciate that." She says. "Thank you Bookman." He nods back and strolls down the hallway and out of sight. _Huh. I always thought Bookman was super strict. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all. _Robin shrugs and enters the room.

"Hey Robin." Lavi says. He glances up from a huge textbook on his lap and smiles cheerfully. He sits on one of the room's two beds surrounded by stacks of books and papers. Being a Bookman means Lavi has to do a large amount of studying and chronicling events. He's out of his exorcist uniform for once and has on a simple t-shirt and jeans. His hair is down and his hammer rests at his side on his bed.

"Hey Lavi," She says, shutting the door behind her. "Sorry I'm late."

"No problem." He says. He bookmarks the page he's on and sets it aside. Robin places the case on the floor and opens it.

"So do you want to go over the lyrics first or the notes?" He asks.

"Lyrics." She decides. "I have the song itself down, I'm just not used to singing and playing at the same time. Let alone in Japanese." She pulls out a notebook filled with sheet music from her case and takes a seat next to him.

"You could try the English translation." He says. Robin shakes her head.

"It doesn't flow as well I think." She says. "Besides, I want to surprise Kanda."

Lavi nods. "So give it a whirl." He says.

Robin takes a deep breath and starts running through each verse. Occasionally, Lavi will interrupt and correct her on pronunciation. When she is able to go through the song without a mistake, she switches to the violin. She practices the melody once, then plays the song while singing the lyrics. Lavi listens intently the whole time and offers a couple tips, which Robin gratefully memorizes. As she finishes the song for the thirtieth time that day, Lavi smirks and nods.

"I dare say, you've got it down." He says. "You're getting really good at playing." Robin smiles at the compliment and replaces the violin.

"I just hope Kanda likes it." She says.

"He'll love it." Lavi says. "Like I said when I found it for you, it's the perfect song to play for him. So don't worry." Robin nods. He's right of course.

"It's tomorrow so I won't have any other chance to practice." She says. "Thank you for helping me."

"No problem." He says. "I'm happy to help. By the way, I'll make sure to keep your secret hidden."

"Thank you." She says. "I know it's mostly because of Raven, but I'm still grateful nevertheless."

Lavi shakes his head. "You're my friend too, Robin." Lavi says. "If you get into any trouble, just holler."

"Thanks Lavi." She says.

She picks up her case and starts to head back to her room. She spent so much of her time practicing with Lavi that she didn't realize how late it's gotten. Kanda will probably wonder where she is. She closes the door to Lavi's room behind her and starts to head back when she hears someone come down the hall.

"Robin?"

Robin spins around and smiles when she sees a pair of dark green pigtails.

"Oh hey Lenalee." Robin says. "I haven't seen you in a while." Lenalee smiles back at her.

"I just got back from a mission in India." She says. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"Yeah," Robin says. "My innocence was doing weird things. Though, it seems to have calmed down recently."

"Well that's good." Lenalee says. They smile at each other in a moment of uncomfortable silence. Neither one of them seems to make a move to leave. Finally, Robin has enough of it.

"I should probably be going to my room." Robin says, turning to walk down the hall.

"Um, Robin?" Lenalee asks. Robin pauses.

"Yeah?" She asks.

"I couldn't help but see the wrap around your chest."

Robin flinches and turns to her. How does she know about her wrap?! Lenalee gives her a weak smile.

"I was worried it might be from an injury."

_An injury? _Robin snaps out of her trace and smiles back.

"Uh, yeah." She lies. "I ended up getting hit in the chest during a fight with an akuma. It was nothing serious but it was pretty swollen for a couple of weeks." Lenalee nods, seemingly buying her story.

"You should be careful." Lenalee says.

"Yeah." Robin says. "Well, goodnight."

"Night Robin." Robin nods and hurries down the hallway and away from the pigtailed girl's sight. She really hopes that's all she knows. Please, oh please buy her horrible injury story.

Robin makes it to her room and enters, going straight to her bed. Kanda is already asleep with the bed's covers pulled over him. Robin slides her violin under her bed and changes into her pajamas before sneaking over to her side of the room.

She could probably creep over to Kanda and lie with him for the night, but decides against it. Even if she could manage to crawl into his bed without waking him, he'll be mad when he wakes up. Not the way she wants tomorrow to start out. Robin curls up on her own bed and tries her best to fall asleep. She can't wait until tomorrow. She struggles against the nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach, eventually drifting off to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

"So you want to take me out for the day?" Kanda asks from his bed. Robin smiles and continues digging through her dresser. Eventually she finds the shirt she's looking for and turns to face him.

"Yeah! It'll be fun!" She says. Kanda raises an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

"You have a strange concept of fun." He says. "And why today?" Robin sighs.

"Why not today?" She asks. "I can't surprise my boyfriend with a date?"

"This came out of nowhere." He says. "What do you have in mind?"

Robin walks over to the bathroom and sets her clothes on the floor. "You'll see." She says, sticking her head out of the bathroom. Kanda sighs and she smiles, closing the door and getting dressed.

Finally it's Kanda's birthday. All the hard work practicing her song is going to pay off. She's buzzing with excitement. She slips on a pair of pants and a blue button down shirt. She runs a brush through her hair and frowns at the brown strands close to touching the top of her shoulders. She'll have to get a haircut soon. Her fingers brush against the necklace fashioned around her neck. He still refuses to tell her was tenshi means. Knowing him, he still probably won't. But that's okay. She's still happy and hardly ever takes the necklace off, even when she sleeps. She may not understand the full meaning, but it was a gift from Kanda. One that he put a lot of thought into and that she cherishes.

Robin opens the door to the bathroom and Kanda pulls his hair back. When their eyes meet, Robin forces herself to keep from bursting into a huge smile. After all, if she acts too cheerful, he'll get suspicious. Robin reaches for the violin case under her bed.

"You're bringing your violin?" He asks. Robin nods.

"After Master Cross found it last time, I don't really want to keep it here while we're both gone. Besides, I was thinking of playing something. If you want, of course."

"That's fine." He says. Robin smiles again and waits by the door for him to sling Mugen over his shoulder. Kanda glances at her grin and smirks back.

"You're cheerful." He says. Robin nods, holding the door open for him.

"I'm excited about being able to go on a date with you." She says. Kanda shakes his head.

"You can be a real dork sometimes." He says.

"Hey!"

Kanda chuckles and she smiles, closing the door behind them.

Before Robin and Kanda make their way out of the Order they take one quick stop by the cafeteria. As soon as Jerry spots the two of them, the pink haired chef giggles and hands Robin a large picnic basket.

"Thanks Jerry!" She says, giving him a smile.

"No problem sweetie!" Jerry says. "Enjoy your picnic!"

"Picnic?" Kanda asks, one eyebrow raised. Robin merely smirks and leads him out of the Order.

They leave Headquarters and to Kanda's surprise Robin leads them away from any towns and heads into a nearby forest. They go a significant distance and after awhile the trail starts to get more and more narrow and gain more of an incline.

"You do know where you're going, right?" Kanda asks. Robin grabs a tree branch for support and grins back at him.

"Don't worry." She says. "Lavi and I plotted out where we're going not that long ago."

"Baka usagi?" Kanda asks. He frowns. "Lovely."

Robin ignores his comment and swings herself over the top of the hill. She pauses and smiles when she hears the pattering of a nearby stream.

"This way." She says and leads him to a small clearing. Ahead on them is a shallow stream running down the hill they'd previously been climbing. The water sparkles against the slits of sunlight peeking in through the treetops above them. The grass is lush and a cheerful green color with wild flowers springing up from the ground. It looks like a place out of a fairy tale and Robin has never felt more grateful to the hyperactive rabbit who helped her find it.

She sets the picnic basket and violin case on the ground and takes a seat in the middle of the meadow. She lays back and gazes up at the sky through the trees.

"Isn't it pretty?" She asks with a smile. Kanda takes the spot next to her.

"It's peaceful here." He says, lying down next to her. Robin nods.

"I thought you'd like it." She says. "It's nice being able to just take a break from the Order for a little while." Kanda nods and wraps an arm around her.

"It is nice." He says. He leans in to kiss her when Robin's stomach lets out a loud growl. Kanda rolls his eyes and she chuckles.

"Did I mention I brought food?" She asks. Kanda smirks and they sit up. Robin opens up the basket and hands him a carefully packed box.

"Apparently, according to Jerry, all you eat is soba." She says, when Kanda opens the lid and reveals that Jerry had in fact made him his usual soba.

"Have you even had it?" He asks.

"Nope." She says, taking a bite of a turkey and cheese sandwich. Kanda pauses and frowns at her.

"You've never had soba?" He asks. She shakes her head. Kanda frowns and shakes his own head with disbelief.

"You poor uncultured chiisana tenshi." He says. "I am going to have to fix this."

"Uncultured?" She asks. Kanda gathers up some of the noodles with his chopsticks and offers them to her. She opens her mouth and he feeds it to her.

"Well?" He asks. She pauses thoughtful, trying to get a sense of the taste.

"It tastes like spaghetti." She finally says. Kanda frowns.

"But it's good, right?" He asks. Robin shrugs.

"If you like spaghetti."

"Unbelievable." He says, returning to his soba eating.

Robin smiles at him. She finishes off her sandwich and goes to dig into a container of homemade mac and cheese. She loves Jerry's cooking. Yet another reason she's come to see the Order as her home. When they're both done with their lunch, she lays back on the grass and smiles. She starts to hum and she hears Kanda chuckle next to her.

"Would you be willing to play me a song?" He asks, leaning over her. Robin smiles huge and brushes her lips to his. When they pull away, she reaches for her violin case and pulls out the instrument. She takes a second to correct the tune and smirks, bringing the bow across the strings. The notes begin to take life and she starts the intro to the the song she's been practicing non-stop for the last four days. It's a peaceful melody with gentle notes filled with emotion. She meets his gaze and lets her eyes close, taking a breath before starting the first verse to the lyrics.

_Kawa wa nagarete doko doko ikuno  
(Where are rivers flowing to?)_

_Hito mo nagarete doko doko ikuno  
(And, where are people headed for?)_

_Sonna nagare ga tsuku koroniwa  
(By the time those flows reach somewhere,)_

_Hana to shite hana to shite sakasete agetai  
(I want them to bloom as flowers and as flowers.)_

_Nakinasai warainasai  
(Cry as you like, and laugh as you like.)_

_Itsuno hika itsuno hika  
(Someday, and someday,)_

_Hana wo sakasouyo  
(let us bloom flowers.)_

_Namida nagarete doko doko ikuno  
(Where are tears flowing to?)_

_Ai mo nagarete doko doko ikuno  
(And, where is love headed for?)_

_Sonna nagare wo kono uchi ni  
(I want to welcome those flows)_

_Hana to shite hana to shite mukaete agetai  
(in my house, as flowers, and as flowers.)_

_Nakinasai warainasai  
(Cry, and laugh as you like.)_

_Itsuno hika itsuno hika  
(Someday, and someday,)_

_Hana wo sakasouyo  
(let us bloom flowers.)_

_Hana wa hana toshite warai mo dekiru  
(Flowers can also laugh as flowers.)_

_Hito wa hito to shite namida mo nagasu  
(People also tear as persons.)_

_Sore ga shizen no uta nanosa  
(This is the song of nature.)_

_Kokoro no naka ni kokoro no naka ni hana wo sakasouyo  
(Let us bloom flowers in our heart, and in our heart.)_

_Nakinasai warainasai  
(Cry, and laugh)_

_Itsu itsu mademo itsu itsu mademo  
(as long as you like.)_

_Hana wo sakasouyo  
(Let us catch flowers.)_

_Nakinasai warainasai  
(Cry, and laugh)_

_Itsuno hika itsuno hika  
(Someday, and someday,)_

_Hana wo sakasouyo  
(let us bloom flowers.)_

Robin holds onto the last note, allowing the song to fade into silence. She takes a breath of fresh air and opens her eyes. Kanda stares at her with an expression of amazement. She smiles and reaches into her violin case. She holds out a small box tied with a red ribbon for him.

"Robin." He starts. She giggles and puts the box into his hands.

"Happy birthday Kanda!" She says. He shakes his head and smiles.

"How did you know?" He asks.

"I know everything." She says with a wink. "That and Reever told me. I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"I didn't think you'd want to celebrate it." He says. "I don't normally do anything today anyway." Robin frowns.

"Of course I want to celebrate it!" She says. "I love you. I want to scream it from the rooftops and throw a huge party to commemorate it."

"You aren't, are you?" Kanda asks.

"No." She says. "I didn't think you would like a huge party."

"Thank god." He says. Robin smirks.

"There's always next year." She says and Kanda rolls his eyes. "So what are you waiting for? Open your present!" Kanda smirks and loosens the ribbon, purposely taking more time than necessary to open it. Robin fidgets excitedly next to him, dying to see if he likes it. Kanda goes to pull off the top and looks to her.

"Open it already!" She says. Kanda chuckles and finally opens it, revealing a bracelet. Made to look similar to her necklace, she used black cord to weave the same interlocking design. In place of a square block, the centerpiece is an oval with a lotus flower carved into it. The petals are etched along the curve of the oval so it looks like it's about to bloom. Kanda's eye widen at the lotus design and he brushes his thumb over the petals.

Robin smiles. It didn't take much to find out his apparent fascination with lotus flowers. While she was fishing around with his stuff she found more than a couple gardening books with pages of the flower bookmarked off. Plus, there was the hourglass she found hidden under his bed. Kanda never showed her it before and went out of his way to hide it. It's clear the flower means a great deal to him.

"How did you know?" He asks, fitting the bracelet on his wrist.

"I saw your hourglass." She says. She meets the gaze boring into her skull and smiles. "You don't have to explain anything. I just noticed you really like them."

"You can say that." He says.

"Back when I was training with Master Cross we spent a week in India. While we were there I spent a lot of the time by myself and I ended up visiting a temple with a bunch of Buddhist monks. It was quiet but they were kind. In return for helping them with some of their chores they let me visit and wander around the temple's garden. I remember they had these beautiful lotuses. Did you know, it can take them thousands of years to bloom?"

Kanda nods. "The seeds of a lotus can sleep in the soil for a thousand years."

"Stubborn things." She says and Kanda rolls his eyes. She smiles. "As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world, having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world."

Kanda raises an eyebrow. "Buddha." She answers and he nods. "A monk once said that even when the time finally comes for it to wither away, the lotus will always bloom twice. Even when it dies, it'll come back and next time it may be even more beautiful than before."

She smiles. He wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her hair. She feels a warm droplet of water and her smile slowly fades. He's crying? Kanda never cries.

"Kanda, are you okay?!" She asks, worried. "Oh geez, I'm so sorry! I'm such an idiot! I didn't mean to-" She's cut off when he suddenly presses their lips together. When he pulls away, Robin blinks, confused.

"Huh? What? How?" She asks.

"Thank you Robin." He whispers.

"No problem." She says. "But, um, what did I do again?"

He chuckles. "Everything." He says. "Thank you for being my chiisana tenshi."

"I'll be your tenshi." She says with a smile. "Even if I have no idea what it means. So you like the bracelet?"

"I love it." His fingers brush against the lotus design. Another tear slips from his eyes and this time she kisses it away. He smiles and leans his forehead against hers so there is only an inch of empty space between them.

"Happy birthday Kanda."

* * *

**The song Robin sings is an actual song. *I _do not_ own it!* It's called "Hana" originally composed by Kina Shoukichi. The full title is "Subete no Hito no Kokoro ni Hana O" and has been redone a lot. I included the English translation underneath.**

**I know DGM is set in the 19th century, but I couldn't help it! (Please, don't be mad!) It's a really beautiful song and I like the version by Natsukawa Rimi. :) If you get a chance, you should listen to it on YouTube and you'll understand why I just had to.**

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**I've been reading a lot of crack fics recently. I fear it's kind of rubbed off on my story. You'll have to let me know what you guys think. **

**Anyways, here's chapter 25! I hope you like it and please, please review!**

* * *

When she and Kanda finally return to the Order, Robin starts to head toward their room when a voice from behind stops them.

"So I take it our plan worked?"

Lavi leans against the wall with a huge grin.

"Yup." Robin says. She squeezes Kanda's hand next to her and he "ches", refusing to let the rabbit see the smile painted across his lips.

"Good." Lavi says, nodding. "So how would you like to join the others with our own little get-together?"

"Get-together?" Robin asks.

"No way in hell." Kanda says.

"Aww Yuu, come on." Lavi whines. "It'll be fun!"

"Don't call me that!" He growls.

"What about you Robin?" Lavi asks, looking toward her expectantly. Robin gives him a weak smile.

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass." She says. Lavi pouts. His one, green eye suddenly flashes. He lunges at Kanda and pulls the angry samurai's arms to his back.

"What the hell?!" Kanda growls.

"Now Allen! Lenalee!" Lavi yells. Two dark green pigtails and a head of white hair appear out of nowhere. Lavi reaches around the thrashing Kanda and grabs Mugen. He tosses the katana to Lenalee who giggles and runs down the hall.

"Wait! What?!" Robin yells. Before she can act, Allen grabs her arm and starts dragging her after Lenalee.

"Lavi!" Kanda yells.

Lavi gulps and releases him, running for his life. Kanda gets up and chases after him. Lavi runs down several different hallways with Kanda close on his tail. The rabbit nearly cries with joy when he see's Allen leading Robin through a door. The red head runs into the room and Kanda follows.

"Looks like everyone's here." Lenalee says with an evil grin. She closes the door behind Kanda and clicks the lock, making Robin and Kanda flinch.

"Baka usagi!" Kanda growls. Lavi whimpers and hides behind Robin, standing with Allen. She looks around and realizes they're in Allen's room. Aside from Lenalee, Lavi and Allen, she spots Miranda and Krory sitting on the floor opposite her.

"What is this?" Robin asks. Lavi grins.

"A little get-together." He says.

"No way!" Kanda yells.

"Oh really?" Lenalee holds up Mugen for him to see and he snarls at the pigtailed girl.

"Don't worry." Lavi says. "You can have Mugen back after a few rounds."

"Rounds of what?" Robin asks. The red head, clearly having been waiting for her to ask, grins and spins around, holding up a stash of bottles. Her jaw drops.

"Alcohol?!" She yells. "Isn't it illegal for anyone here to drink?"

"Miranda is 26." Lenalee says. Miranda lets out a nervous squeak. Robin starts to say something about how out of everyone here, Miranda's probably the last one who should be drinking, but Lenalee cuts her off.

"The Order lowers the legal drinking age to 16." Lenalee answers.

"Okay," She says. "But still, isn't it dangerous?"

"You worry too much Robin!" Lavi says, cheerfully placing a bottle of liquor in her hands. She groans and glares at the bottle, starting to feel sick.

"You don't like alcohol?" Krory asks. Robin frowns.

"I've always associated drinking with Master Cross." She says. "As you can probably guess it's not something I'm fond of."

"I know what you mean." Allen says.

The two of them think of their days with Cross and let out a collective shudder. Lavi laughs and hands Kanda a bottle of his own. He glares daggers at the rabbit and slumps down on the floor next to Robin. After watching a few of the others taking sips from their drinks, Robin sighs and takes a sip of her own. She nearly chokes and she coughs as the alcohol burns her throat. Lavi and Lenalee chuckle at her reaction and she blushes, trying to hide next to Kanda.

"So," Lavi says with a cheerful smile. "Who's up for a game?"

"Ooooh, how about the King Game?" Lenalee suggests. Lavi's smile grows.

"That will work great!" The rabbit says, reaching for a handful of Popsicle sticks and a maker.

"What's the King Game?" Robin asks.

"It's when everyone picks out a numbered stick from a hand." Lenalee explains. "One person will get the king stick. He or she picks one or more numbers, and whoever has that numbered stick has to do whatever the king says."

"Sounds like way too much power for one person." Robin mutters. Lavi ignores her and triumphantly holds out a handful of Popsicle sticks. Lenalee giggles and everyone grabs one. Robin sighs and grabs her own.

"So who's the King?" Lavi asks. "The King has the crown." Robin glances down at the end of her stick and frowns at the cheerfully doodled picture that somewhat resembles a crown.

"I guess I'm King." She says. "So what? I pick a number and make them do anything?" Lavi nods and Robin thinks. "Um, I guess numbers two and three have to hold hands?" Lavi and Krory grab hands and the red head raises an eyebrow to her.

"You know, this game tends to be a bit more risque." He says. Robin shrugs and replaces the stick.

"Okay, next round!" Lavi says. Everyone takes a new stick and he chuckles. "So who is the King?"

Lenalee giggles evilly and everyone turns to look toward her.

"And what does the King desire?" Lavi asks her.

"That number four and number seven have to make out for a solid minute and number seven has to describe it to everyone here."

Robin sweat drops. She glances down at her number and pales when she realizes she's number seven.

"So who are our lovely victims?" Lavi asks cheerfully.

"I'm number four." Allen, of all people, says. Robin turns to him and shows everyone her number.

"Seven." Robin says. Lenalee suddenly squeals with joy.

"Yay for yaoi! Yay for yaoi!" She chirps. Next to her Kanda growls angrily and pulls Robin away from the white-headed exorcist.

"No fucking way." He growls.

"It's just a game." Robin says. He glares at her and Lavi pouts.

"Yeah Yuu." Lavi says. "It's just a game! Let them kiss!" Kanda snarls at the rabbit.

"This is stupid." Kanda says. He moves to leave and Lenalee holds up Mugen. She smirks and Kanda sits back down, muttering angrily in Japanese. Robin sighs and turns to Allen, who's face is bright red.

"It's just a minute?" Robin asks Lenalee.

"With tongue." Lavi adds and the pigtailed girl nods with agreement. Robin frowns. _Of course._

"So, um..." Allen mumbles nervously. Robin gives him a friendly smile and presses their lips together.

"I don't see tongue." Lavi says, taking another sip of his drink. Robin groans, annoyed, and pulls them deeper into the kiss, making Kanda growl with rage. After a minute, they pull away gasping for breath. Allen's face is bright red and Lenalee shrieks with joy.

"So what was it like?!" The pigtailed girl asks.

Robin's face flushes. "It was nice." Robin says. "I had no idea Allen's lips were so soft." Allen turns an even brighter red while Lenalee leans closer, engrossed with her description. "But,"

"Yeah?!" She asks. Robin sweat drops.

"It kind of tasted like mitarashi dango." She says. Lavi and the others burst into laughter and Allen slumps in his spot, blushing profusely.

"That's so like moyashi!" Lavi hollers.

"Shut up." Allen says, looking away. They play the next round and everyone grabs a number.

"Sweet!" Lenalee says. "I'm King again!" She looks around the group with a mischievous grin. Robin shivers, expecting the worst.

"Okay!" Lenalee says. "I'm gonna go easy for now and make everyone answer a question." Robin relaxes. She can handle a question.

"You have to confess who it is you have a crush on. If you're in a relationship, then you have to spill something about your partner in bed."

Robin sneaks a peek at Kanda and pales. She's so dead.

"We'll start with Krory." Lenalee says cheerfully.

"The only one I will ever love is my sweet Eliade." He answers. Lavi and Allen exchange a melancholy smile.

"Oh, I'm next." Miranda says, nervously. Her fingers fidget in her lap and she blushes. "I-I kind of like Marie. B-but there's no way I could ever ask him out! I-I m-mean what if he hates me!? Ooooh, I know he must hate my guts!" She collapses on the floor and Lenalee pats her shoulder to comfort her.

"Marie doesn't hate you." The pigtailed girl reassures her. "I'm pretty sure he likes you too."

"R-really?" She asks. Lenalee nods and she blushes again.

"So Kanda?" Lavi asks, his one eye gleaming evilly.

Everyone leans closer to hear what he has to say. They all know she and Kanda are together, they just want to hear what kind of humiliating tidbit he has to offer. _Those vultures._

Kanda smirks. "Robin is uke." He says and Lenalee squeals. Robin death glares him, but he ignores her. "He's relatively submissive." Robin raises an eyebrow and he smirks. "After he puts up a fight first."

"That's great and all." Lenalee says. "But what about something a little more juicy?"

"Well, Robin has some weird fetishes. Like this one time," Her eyes widen in horror as she realizes what he's going to say. She jumps up and shoves a hand over his mouth.

"Robin?!" Lenalee asks.

"No!" She says. "You promised not to say anything about that!" Kanda chuckles and moves her hand away.

"Fine baka." He says. Robin takes a deep breath and settles back down at his side. Everyone exchanges an odd look at them.

"But," Lenalee starts.

"We do not speak of it." Robin growls. "Now, for my turn you should all know that Kanda is freaking sadistic in bed." She glares at him and he chuckles.

"I didn't know you were into S&M Robin." Lavi says. Her and Kanda glare at him.

Lenalee pouts and thankfully continues with the circle.

"So Allen," Lavi asks. "Got a crush on anyone?"

Allen blushes and looks away. Kanda glares at him and pulls Robin closer.

"Do I have to?" Allen asks. Lavi and Lenalee nod. He sighs and his blush reddens. "I like Robin."

"WHAT?!" Everyone yells. The rest of the group stares at him as he tries to hide. Robin blushes and stares at him, completely taken off guard.

"I had no idea." Robin says. "I'm so sorry." Allen shrugs.

"It's okay." He says. "I understand you have feelings for Kanda."

"You're so lucky Robin!" Lenalee chirps. Robin sweat drops.

"Oh? And how do you figure that?"

Lenalee grins. "You are now part of a beautifully crafted homosexual love triangle between the cute and loveable Allen and the strong and sexy Kanda. Congratulations!"

"Gee, thanks." She mutters.

"Okay, okay," Lavi says. "Let's move on. As for me, I don't have anyone. Though if you know any girls looking for a gorgeous rabbit boyfriend, you know who to call."

Kanda rolls his eyes at Lavi's obvious lie and Robin frowns, silently apologizing to Raven.

"So on to the next round!" Lenalee says. They draw Popsicle sticks again. Lavi grins like a three year old and holds the king stick in the air like a trophy. Allen frowns and glances down at his own number. He's number three.

"Okay!" Lavi says. "I'm going to pick number five and..." He glances around the circle. _Anything but number three. Anything but number three. _"And number three!" Allen groans and silently curses that stupid rabbit. Next to Robin, Kanda growls, annoyed.

"What do you want me to do now, baka?" Kanda asks. Lenalee giggles.

"Allen and Kanda," She says. "Sweet! What are you going to make them do Lavi?!"

Lavi laughs evilly. "You two have to cross-dress until the end of the game."

"WHAT?!" Both of them yell. Lavi bursts into laughter and Lenalee grins evilly.

"Take them away Lenalee!"

Lenalee nods happily and drags the two struggling exorcists out of the room. Lavi, Krory, Miranda and Robin sit in the room in awkward silence. Robin takes a sip of her drink and cringes, still not use to the taste.

"So..." Lavi says, when there's screaming from down the hall. There's two loud whacks and the screaming stops. Suddenly the door to Allen's room opens and Kanda and Allen walk in wearing long, Victorian style dresses. Allen's dress is bright purple, while Kanda's is hot pink.

"Huh." Robin says. "I guess I was wrong. Flamingo pink is your color after all."

Kanda glares daggers at her and Lavi laughs.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel," Lavi sings. "Let down your long hair."

Kanda glares at Lavi with a murderous twinge in his eyes. Robin shivers. If it wasn't for Mugen being in Lenalee's possession, Lavi would be a pile of meaty bits.

"Why you little..." Kanda growls.

"Come on Yuu!" Lavi cheers. "The King commands it!" Kanda growls and lets his long, blue hair fall free. Lenalee squeals and Robin looks away, grabbing the bridge of her nose. He stalks over to Robin's side and slumps down next to her. She silently hands him the bottle of liquor and he takes a long gulp.

"You're quiet Allen." Lenalee comments. He shrugs.

"I'm getting used to this." He says and sits back down on the opposite side of Robin. After another uncomfortable moment of silence, they draw sticks again. Robin glances down at her stick and sighs when she sees the drawing of a crown.

"So Robin is King again?" Lavi says. "Sweet, Robin is so nice. We can all just relax and-"

"Lavi is telling Komui that he got Lenalee pregnant." She says.

Everyone stops and gapes at her. She smirks evilly.

"What?" She says. "I've been taking notes." She leans closer to Kanda and their lips meet. Lenalee squeals and nosebleeds.

"Yuu's corrupted him!" Lavi yells.

"Just do it, baka." Kanda says, playing with a strand of her hair.

"But he didn't even do it right!" Lavi whines. "He didn't pick out my number! He can't do that!"

"Yeah, I can." She says. She points to the Popsicle stick and gives the rabbit a smug smile. "King." She sings. Lavi groans. There's a knock on the door and Lenalee smiles.

"I'll get it." She says. She opens the door and Komui nearly suffocates her.

"Oh my sweet Lenalee!" He says. "I was looking all over for you!" Next to him, Reever sighs and looks around Lenalee's brother.

"So this is where you've all been." Reever glances around and nearly chokes when he spots Kanda and Allen in their lavish, princess gowns.

"Not one word." Kanda growls.

"You know what?" Reever says. "I'm not even going to ask. Come on, Chief."

They turn to leave and Robin motions for Lavi. He silently pleads with her and Robin shakes her head. Lavi whimpers and stands.

"Wait, Komui." Lavi says.

"Oh, yes Lavi?" Komui asks cheerfully. Lavi switches their places so he's by the door.

"You see," Lavi says. "I got Lenalee pregnant."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"Bye!" Lavi bolts down the hallway and out of sight. Another second later, Komui runs after him.

"HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY SWEET LENALEE! YOU MUST DIE! SIR KROMLIN, KILL THAT FILTHY OCTOPUS!"

There's a loud boom and a bloodcurdling scream, courtesy of Lavi. Everyone sits in silence.

"Wait, Lenalee you're pregnant?!" Reever asks. Lenalee shakes her head.

"No, it was a dare." The pigtailed girl explains.

"Wait, then shouldn't we help him?"

There's another loud scream and everyone shrugs.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Robin says. Reever sighs and walks down the hallway, muttering to himself. Lenalee closes the door behind him and retakes her seat.

"Shall we continue?" Lenalee asks cheerfully.

"Might as well." Allen answers. Everyone draws a new Popsicle stick and Lenalee giggles again.

"Again?!" Allen asks.

"What can I say?" Lenalee says. "I'm pretty lucky. Anyways, since we can pick people now I'm gonna have to go with Miranda." Miranda yelps and looks at her with wide eyes.

"Y-yes?" She asks. Lenalee smiles.

"You have to ask Marie out on a date." The pigtailed girl answers. Miranda blushes and looks away, nervously tugging at her brown hair.

"Now let's keep going." Lenalee says. Everyone takes a new stick and searches around for the King.

"Oh, it's me." Krory says. "I guess Allen and Robin have to have a drinking contest."

"Yeah!" Lenalee says. "How about the loser has to kiss Lavi when he gets back?"

"_If_ he gets back." Allen says.

Krory nods and a line of liquor bottles are set up between Robin and Allen. The two of them shrug and after the signal from Lenalee, start guzzling the drinks. The alcohol tastes awful to her, but Robin ignores it and focuses on swallowing. There is no way in hell she's going to kiss the rabbit. Not after last time.

She finishes her first bottle and starts on the second. A second later, Allen downs his first and begins his second right along with her. It isn't until Robin is nearly done with her fifth that the alcohol hits her system. She groans and a red tint is painted across her cheeks. Allen looks tipsy as well with his own cheeks flushed. Robin forces the bottle to her lips and drinks. Allen does the same, when the bottle slips from his fingers and lands on the floor.

"That's it." Allen says. "I'm done."

"Yay!" Robin says, raising the bottle in the air. The glass bottle slips and shatters into pieces. She looks down at her now bloody, cut open hands and giggles.

"Robin!" Kanda says. She pokes the cuts, while her innocence slowly begins to heal the wounds.

"I think Robin is drunk." Lenalee says. Kanda frowns and sits Robin on his lap with his arms wrapped around her, keeping her from hurting herself anymore.

"Kanda's so pretty as a girl." Robin says, playing with his hair. "Though I'm not a huge fan of yuri."

Kanda sighs and Robin snuggles against his chest. The door to the room opens and Lavi runs in out of breath, slamming the door behind him.

"Thank the lord I'm alive!" The red head says. "So what did I miss?"

Allen grabs the rabbit by the shirt and slams him against the door. The white headed exorcist presses his lips against the other boy's. Lenalee squeals with joy and surprisingly, Lavi kisses back, starting up a very steamy make out session.

"Yay for yaoi!" Lenalee cheers. "Yay for yaoi!"

"Yay for yaoi!" Robin says before her eyes slowly shut and she snores into Kanda's chest.

Kanda glances around at the situation. Miranda is hyperventilating in the corner, Lavi and Allen are on the floor making out with Lenalee fangirling over them, and Krory is watching it all with a very confused expression on his face. Kanda sighs, exhausted, and picks up Mugen, left unguarded on the floor. He leaves the room with a drunk Robin in his arms and starts heading back to their room, his long pink dress trailing after him.

"Che." Kanda says, stalking down the hall. "This is why I hate get-togethers."


	26. Chapter 26

Robin groans and shoves the blankets over her head. Her head is pounding in her skull. It's the worst headache she's ever had and the light shining through the window isn't helping. The bed shifts and she hears Kanda chuckle.

"Enjoying your hangover?" He asks. She cringes at the volume of his voice and shifts.

"Shut it." She hisses. "My head is gonna explode."

"That's what you get for drinking so much." He says. His voice is lower, but her head still screams with each word. She groans and moves to face him. His chest is bare and she blushes when she realizes he's completely naked under the sheets.

"And where is that beautiful dress of yours?" She asks, glaring back at him.

"Burned." He says with a smug smile. Robin pouts.

"Damn." She says. "And you looked so good as a princess. Finally put that feminine charm of yours to good use." A vein ticks on the side of his forehead.

"Shut up." He growls. Robin grits her teeth and slams the palm of her hand across his mouth.

"Shut it!" She says. "No yelling. Do that again and I'll shove that damn katana of yours up-"

Kanda sighs and pulls her hand away. He presses his lips to hers, thoroughly silencing her. His tongue slides across the inside of her bottom lip and she parts her mouth, giving into the kiss.

"No complaining." He says, pulling away. "That's the nicest possible way I can make you shut up."

"Sure." She says. "But if you start doing that with Lavi or Allen, my previous threat still stands." Kanda rolls his eyes and she lies back against the pillows with a groan.

"At least you beat the moyashi." He whispers, wrapping his arms around her.

"So I did beat him?" She asks.

"You don't remember?"

"Nope." She says. "Everything after that fifth bottle is one big, obnoxious blur. But I'm glad I didn't have to kiss the rabbit. Bad enough, I have to deal with him because of Raven. But then that means I missed out on Allen and Lavi."

Kanda grimaces, remembering the two exorcists making out on the floor.

"I always miss out on the yaoi." She says with a sigh. "And Laven too!"

Kanda sweat drops. "You're an otaku?"

Robin's face flushes and she glares at him.

"Hell no!" She hisses. "Raven's the otaku! She's the one always going on about the burning flames of moe!"

"The burning flames of moe?" He repeats. Kanda sighs. "I fear I'm losing my respect for you."

Robin's eyes brighten. "You respect me?"

"Not anymore." He says and Robin pouts.

"It's not my fault." She says.

"Oh really?"

"Yes." She says. "I'm pretty sure any girl would get at least a little excited if she saw two gorgeous guys making out."

"Gorgeous?" He growls. She rolls her eyes.

"They're good looking." She says. "I can't help it." The arms around her tighten and Robin sighs. She runs a hand down his chest and she brushes her lips against his jaw. A smile reaches her lips.

"But if its any consolation, you're the hottest, sexiest, most bad-ass exorcist of them all. And you're all mine." Kanda smirks and moves her so she's straddling him. He slides a hand up her shirt and she moans.

"So that's it." She murmurs. "Were you waiting for me to get drunk?" His lips brush against her neck and he bites down, making her shudder with pleasure. He chuckles.

"Like I need to get you drunk to have my way." He says.

"True." She says with a smirk. "But I'm not feeling well right now." She groans and lies back down at his side. "My head is still killing me."

"Sleep." Kanda whispers. Robin rests her head on his chest and sighs. Kanda is so warm. She smirks and shuts her eyes, wrapping her fingers around a strand of his hair.

"You really are obsessed with my hair." He says.

"Hush." She says back. "I'm sleeping." Kanda rolls his eyes and she forces her body to relax, letting herself drift to sleep.

When she wakes up she squints at the bright afternoon sun shining through the window. Her head feels a little better and no longer throbs when she tries to lift it off her pillow. Speaking of her pillow, Kanda shifts and she whimpers when he rolls her over to his side. His eyes reach hers and she nuzzles his chest.

"What time is it?" She asks. Kanda shifts and glances at the clock on the bedside table.

"2:34 PM." He answers. She groans and her stomach rumbles.

"I missed breakfast." She says. Her stomach growls again, louder than before, and Kanda chuckles.

"I'll take you down to the cafeteria." He says.

"But that would mean getting up." She says.

"That's the idea." He says. He sits up and Robin whimpers as he strolls over to the dresser.

"Come on." He says. "You'll feel better after you eat." He throws a pile of clothes on the bed for her and she groans.

"For food." She says.

She sits up on the bed and snatches the bundle up, crawling over to the bathroom. She manages to slip on the pants and button up her shirt with little trouble and walks back into the room right as Kanda slings Mugen around his shoulder.

"If I act weak and pathetic will you give me a piggy-back ride?" She asks.

"You can give it a shot." He says, opening the door for her. "Though you won't get very far."

Robin frowns and follows him out. When they reach the cafeteria, the room is still relatively full despite the odd time. Robin thought no one would be here, but a call from across the room proves her wrong.

"Kanda! Robin!" Lenalee yells, sitting at the table furthest in the back. Robin waves to her and leads them to the table. They take a seat and Robin raises an eyebrow at the sulking exorcist next to her.

"What's up with Allen?" Robin asks, cautiously poking the head of snow white hair. Lenalee giggles.

"You missed out!" She chirps. She holds up a picture from last night and Robin blushes.

"Damn." She says. "I can't believe I missed out on Laven!"

Allen groans and across the table Lavi snickers.

"You were right, Robin." Lavi says. "Moyashi does taste like mitarashi dango." Allen's head twitches and he glares up at the red head.

"Never again." Allen says. "I am never drinking ever again."

"I'm with you there." Robin says. "Kanda turns perverted when I'm drunk." Lavi bursts into laughter and Kanda growls.

"You were the one on my lap, baka." Kanda says back. Robin smirks and pecks him on the cheek.

"And you know you loved it." She says. Kanda rolls his eyes and Lenalee squeals with joy.

"So Robin, Allen," Lavi says. "I hear we have a new mission?"

"We do?" Robin asks.

"Krory too." Allen says. "We have to report to Komui."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been on a mission with Krory before." Robin says. "Is he strong?"

Lavi grins. "Yeah," He says. "Just don't let him bite you."

"Huh?" She asks, confused.

Allen smiles. "Don't worry," He says. "I'll protect you." Robin blushes and Kanda growls at the white headed exorcist.

"Poor Yuu." Lavi says. "Forced to stay at the Order while Robin is off fighting akuma. But don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"I already told you, keep your damn eye off him." Kanda growls. "Besides, I'm not worried. Robin doesn't need protection."

"Damn straight." Robin says.

"Just don't do anything too stupid." He says and Robin scoffs.

"I'm not a baka usagi." She says.

"Hey!" Lavi yells.

"I'll make sure to kick all their asses." She says and Kanda smiles. Robin smiles back and takes a lock of his long, blue hair. She brushes her lips against the strand and Kanda's eyes widen in shock.

"I'll be back before you know it." She says, smiling up at him. "After all, I am your tenshi." Lavi looks over at Kanda and inwardly smirks when he sees a faint, pink tint across the samurai's face.

"Well, now that that's settled." Lavi cheerfully pulls Robin away from the table.

"What?" She asks. "But I didn't get to eat anything!"

"Come on!" Lavi says. "Komui's waiting for us!"

"But what about the food!?" She yells as Lavi pulls on her arm. Lavi ignores her and continues to drag her out of the cafeteria, the rest of Robin's yelling becoming inaudible from the hallway.

"Bakas." Kanda mutters. "Both of them."

"Yeah," Allen says, smiling. "But he's so cute." Kanda glares at him and Allen scurries away before the other exorcist can draw Mugen, following the two idiots down the hall.

* * *

"That was real smooth back there." Lavi says, walking in front of her. Robin begrudgingly follows behind the rabbit, grateful he's at least no longer tugging on her arm.

"What are you talking about?" She asks. Lavi turns around at her and grins.

"Kissing his hair like that." He says. "Yuu must be dying with joy right now." Robin raises an eyebrow.

"What the hell are you taking about?" She asks. Lavi blinks.

"Don't you know what that means?"

"It has a meaning?" She asks. Lavi snorts.

"You mean you did that without knowing anything about it?"

She frowns. "Well, then at least tell me what it means." She says. Lavi laughs and Robin pouts.

"Lavi!" She whines. "I'll tell Raven you were making out with Allen all night!" Lavi flinches.

"Okay, okay!" Lavi says. "In Japan when you kiss your lover's hair it means that you'll love them forever."

"Wait," She says. "So then I just...?" Heat flashes across her cheeks. Lavi laughs.

"Yup." He answers. "I'm sure Yuu is so happy."

"Shut up." She says, looking away, embarrassed.

"Hey!" Allen says, running up from behind them. "Why the rush Lavi?"

"Komui wanted to see us in his office as soon as possible." Lavi answers.

"Yeah," Allen says. "But you could have at least waited for us to finish eating. I still had five more plates of food left!"

"At least you got something." Robin says. Her stomach growls and she cringes.

"Oh yeah," Allen asks. "Aren't you a parasite type?" Robin nods. She grabs her stomach and groans when it lets out another loud growl.

"I'm gonna die." She says.

"Oops," Lavi says with a grin. "Guess I forgot about that."

"Forgot?!" Robin yells. "How can you forget?! You have a freaking photographic memory!" Lavi snickers and she growls at him.

"By the way Robin," Allen says. "How is your Innocence lately?"

"I dunno." She says. "I haven't activated it since it freaked out."

"I'm worried." Allen says. "Our last mission was relatively peaceful, but something tells me we won't be so lucky this time. I overheard from Master that there's a chance you could become a Fallen One?"

Lavi's attention snaps to her and they stop in their tracks. Robin raises an eyebrow at their reactions.

"Kanda said that too." She says. "What exactly is a Fallen One?"

Lavi glances at Allen, who turns away.

"Fallen Ones are humans whose bodies and minds have been taken over by their Innocence." Lavi says. "They're made through one of two ways; either an Accommodator forces a synchronization with a shard of Innocence and fails, or a current exorcist betrays the will of God and the synchronization rate falls below zero percent."

"I saw one." Allen says. "It was an exorcist named Suman Dark. He betrayed the Order and was transformed into a Fallen One. It was horrible."

"What happened to him?" Robin asks. She looks to Lavi and the red head silently shakes his head. Her eyes fall to the floor.

"So that's what it means to become a Fallen One." She says. "But I haven't betrayed the Order!"

"Really?" Lavi asks. "You've never done or hid anything that the Order doesn't know about?" Robin's eyes widen. Is he referring to her secret?!

"Lavi!" Allen yells. "Robin is our friend! He wouldn't do something like that!" He glares at him and Lavi grimaces.

"I know!" Lavi says. "I'm just saying there's a lot we don't know."

"If we don't know, then we shouldn't make accusations!" Allen says. "I believe in Robin. It has to have something to do with his Innocence. It has to be acting strange for some reason."

"Maybe he's the Heart." Lavi says. Both exorcists fall silent and stare at her, completely serious. Robin exchanges a look between the two of them and laughs, uneasy.

"Geez, this is complicated." She says. "Well, whatever it was last time, it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore. No reason to be so worried. So come on!" She forces a grin and grabs their hands, dragging them down the hall with her.

"Oh, Robin!" Allen yells.

"Hey!" Lavi says. "I thought we were taking our time!"

"Shut up." She says. "You of all people have no right to complain." Lavi whimpers and Allen manages a small smile.

When they finally reach Komui's office she lets Lavi and Allen go, moving to take a seat on the purple sofa in front of the desk. She glances to her right and notices the tall, pale faced exorcist next to her.

"Hello, Krory." She says with a smile. "Ready for our mission?" Krory nods.

"I hope so." He replies.

Lavi and Allen sit down besides her and Komui hands them each an outline for their mission. Robin skims through the papers and frowns when she sees their destination.

"Egypt?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. The purple haired scientist sighs and takes a sip of coffee from a mug with a bright, pink bunny on the side.

"Yes," Komui says. "There have been an unusual number of sandstorms near Egypt's famous pyramids. The desert is known for its hot and uninhabitable climate, however the region is experiencing abnormal flukes in temperature. One second the sky it clear, the next there's a vicious sandstorm or other strange weather. We've received reports of hail and even snow flurries."

"Wow," Allen says. "Snow in a desert?"

"So then, you think it's Innocence?" Lavi asks. Komui nods.

"Where there is strange phenomena, Innocence is often found." He says. "I want you guys to be careful. Several finders have gone missing while investigating the pyramids. If there is in fact Innocence, then you can pretty much guarantee akuma will also be lying in wait."

"Right." Allen says.

"Before you go," Komui says, standing from his seat. "Robin, I'd like to have you checked out by Hevlaska." Robin nods. The scientist heads for the door and with little else to do, everyone follows.

* * *

Robin takes a step closer on the platform. Allen, Lavi and Krory stand behind her and Komui, while they approach Hevlaska. Robin fidgets nervously. She remembers when she was first checked by Hevlaska the very first day she arrived. Needless to say, it wasn't all too pleasant. Komui smiles encouragingly and she sighs, flinching slightly when the pale, white appendages wrap around her. A minute later, the arms recede and she lets out a deep breath.

"So?" Komui asks.

"Robin's Innocence appears to have stabilized." Hevlaska answers. "Currently, his synchronization rate is 99 percent."

"99 percent?!" Komui says. "Wow! That's great Robin!" Komui places a hand on her shoulder.

"It's risen." She says. Komui nods.

"You'll be hitting the critical point anytime now." He says with a smile.

"While he is close to hitting 100 percent," Hevlaska says. "It seems there is something preventing it from happening."

"Huh?" She asks. "What do you mean?"

"I can't pinpoint what it is, but there is something blocking the Innocence from fully synchronizing."

"Do you have any ideas?" Komui asks.

"Unfortunately no." Hevlaska says. "I'm sorry."

"Can you activate it?" Komui asks Robin. She nods. Her eyes close and she concentrates. Two bright, silver wings shoot out from her back and she holds them out so Komui can see.

"Wow." Komui says.

"Oh, yeah," She says. "I forgot you haven't seen them yet." He runs a hand over the feathers and smiles. The wings glow white under his touch and Robin twitches.

"They feel a little different than usual." She says. "They never used to glow like that before."

"You have a healing ability, correct?" Komui asks. "This is just a guess, but perhaps that ability is being transferred over to your wings."

Robin flaps her wings a little and the glow dies down.

"I'll have to be careful not to accidentally heal the enemy then." She says. She deactivates her Innocence and sighs, feeling tired for some strange reason. Komui looks over at her with curiosity.

"A healing ability is extremely useful." He says. "However, it seems to take a lot out of you. Don't push yourself too hard. If you get into any tough spots, I want you to promise me that you'll get to safety. The Order can't afford to lose an exorcist like you."

"Yeesh," She says, walking back over to where Lavi and the others wait. "Everyone here worries way too much." She smiles. "But then again, that tends to be a side effect of kindness." She turns around and gives Komui a reassuring grin. "Thank you for worrying, but we'll be just fine."

The others nod and Komui lets out a sigh.

"Be safe." He says and they return to the elevator. Robin waves goodbye and Komui returns the gesture before the elevator suddenly rises and whisks the exorcists out of sight.


	27. Chapter 27

There's a loud, feral growl out of nowhere and everyone groans.

"Robin!" Lavi yells from the front of their formation. "Can you please control your stomach?"

"And who's fault is it that I haven't eaten all day?!" She growls back.

There's another growl, this time from her right and Allen groans. Krory's own stomach rumbles next to Lavi and the red head face palms.

"Who had the bright idea to send three parasite types to the middle of a desert?" Lavi asks to no one in particular.

They had left the Order immediately, taking a ferry and later a carriage that dropped them off in Cairo. Their destination is the Great Pyramids. Meaning they had to travel a distance through part of the desert. The supposedly quick little trek in the sand already cost them a day. They've been walking non-stop and still haven't seen any sign of the monuments.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Robin asks with a frown. "Good job, oh great and knowledgeable Bookman. I'm so glad we decided to let you lead the way."

"What is your problem?" Lavi says back.

"Robin gets really grumpy when he hasn't eaten." Allen answers.

"Well, excuse me!" She says. "It's not my fault I'm starving! I could have eaten breakfast if it wasn't for a certain rabbit dragging me off out of nowhere!" She death glares the red head, who sweat drops.

"You're almost as bad as Yuu." He mutters and Robin growls at him.

"Do we even have any food?" Krory asks.

"We didn't pack for an extended trip in the desert." Allen says. "We're starting to run out of water too." He holds up an empty canteen and they all let out a melancholy sigh.

"We're going to die out here, aren't we?" Krory says. "The sun is so unbearable. I don't think I can take it anymore." He suddenly falls back on the sand and groans.

"I'm going to die of starvation." Robin says, lying down next to the pale-faced exorcist. "I think my stomach ate my stomach." The two of them groan. The sand burns against her skin, but the longer she stays still, the more it starts to feel nice and she begins to let her eyelids droop.

"Hey!" Lavi says. "Don't fall asleep! Come on, you two!"

"Let us die." Krory moans and their stomachs let out a collective groan.

"Hey guys!" Allen yells, smiling huge. "We're saved! Look what I found!" With his clawed hand, he cheerfully holds up a bundle of spiky, green cacti.

"There's water in here!" He says. He cuts off the top to one to the plants and shows them the clear, sloshing liquid in its center.

"My savior!" Krory yelps, jumping up with joy.

"I officially love you, Allen!" Robin says, embracing the white haired exorcist.

"Wait!" Lavi yells. "Guys! Don't drink the cactus juice!"

Too late. Lavi watches them in horror as they guzzle the strange liquid. For a second everything is fine. Lavi starts to think nothing is wrong, when Robin suddenly jumps and points to him wide eyed.

"Oh my gosh!" She yells. "Lavi has rabbit ears!"

"A hallucinogen." Lavi says, smacking his hand to his face.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Allen yells and the red head jumps. Allen presses his hands to his head and falls to his knees. "WHAT ABOUT THE GUACAMOLE?!" He yells as tears stream down his face.

Lavi sweat drops. Guacamole?

"Baka usagi is turning into an actual baka usagi!" Robin yells. She suddenly erupts into fits of laughter. "That's so perfect!"

"Hey!" Lavi yells.

"I feel great guys!" Krory yells cheerfully. "It's like a winter wonderland!" Krory skips around in the sand and falls back, attempting to make a snow angel.

"NOOO!" Allen yells. "YOU CAN'T HAVE NACHOS WITHOUT THE GUACAMOLE! IT JUST DOESN'T WORK!" He curls himself into a ball and weeps into his hands. Lavi glances at Robin who's on the ground, rolling with laughter. Krory laughs and starts singing Christmas carols.

"_Jingle bells, Lavi smells. _

_Allen laid an egg. _

_Lenalee broke a heel, _

_and Kanda learned ballet. Hey!"_

Despite the situation, Lavi snorts at the thought of Kanda in a ballet tutu. Suddenly, Robin rolls over in the sand and smacks right into Allen.

"Hey!" Allen yells. The two of them look at each other and their faces flush.

"Huh?" Lavi asks, ignoring Krory and focusing on the pair.

"Robin?" Allen asks, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.

"Yeah?" She asks. Allen's blush reddens.

"I think you're cute."

He looks away and Robin smiles. "You're the one who's cute, silly!" She says. Allen pouts.

"I don't want you to think I'm cute though!" He says. Robin raises an eyebrow and he takes a deep breath. "I want you to love me, like I think I love you."

He falls quiet. "Allen?" She asks. He shrugs and Robin moves to face him.

"You know," She says. "I could have loved you."

"Really?" He asks. She nods. They lean closer and when their lips are just about to meet, Lavi jumps.

"Oh, crap!" Lavi yells. He runs over and attempts to break them apart. Robin struggles against him and Allen whimpers.

"Come on Robin!" Lavi yells. "What about Yuu?!"

Robin jolts to a stop and Lavi blinks. Suddenly she grabs the red head and pulls his lips to hers. Lavi gasps and pulls away. She falls back in the sand, laughing hysterically. Allen goes back into his ball and starts to cry again, murmuring "guacamole." Krory cheers and grabs fistfuls of sand, starting to throw it up in the air.

"_Oh, the weather outside is frightful! _

_But the fire is so delightful! _

_The lights are turned way down low. _

_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"_

Lavi slumps down in the sand and sulks.

"Yuu is so going to kill me."

* * *

(Meanwhile back at the Order...)

Kanda's eyes suddenly snap open. He's sitting in the center of the training room with mats and training equipment around him. Next to him, Lenalee opens her eyes and raises an eyebrow at him. He let the pigtailed girl mediate with him so long as she kept quiet.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

Kanda frowns.

"I suddenly have an urge to kill the usagi."

Lenalee sweat drops. "When don't you?" She mutters.

"I heard that." He says.

"I'm sure it's nothing." She says, offering him a weak smile. "Those guys will be back in no time."

Kanda grunts in reply and closes his eyes again, forcing himself to ignore his sudden twinge of doubt.

* * *

"So dead." Lavi murmurs as Krory skips around the moping red head, tossing around sand.

"Dead usagi!" Robin squeals. She laughs and Lavi lets out a sigh.

"We're all dead if they forget the guacamole!" Allen sobs.

"Guacamole!" Robin repeats, laughing even harder.

Lavi lets out another tired sigh and waits. There's no telling how long the juice's effect will last. For now, all he can do is sit and wait for their delusions to wear off. While they're incoherent, at least they don't seem to be about to hurt themselves.

"_Rudolph the red nosed reindeer,_

_Had a very shiny nose. _

_And if you ever saw it, _

_You would even say it glowed. _

_All of the other reindeer, _

_Used to laugh and call him names..."_

"Krory," Lavi says with a frown. "Can you at least sing something else?"

"_They never let poor Rudolph,_

_Join in any reindeer games. _

_Then one foggy Christmas eve..."_

Lavi sighs. No use arguing with the delusional. Suddenly the ground beneath them starts to shake. Lavi jumps to his feet, his hammer ready. Allen and Krory scream in terror and Robin rolls on the ground laughing.

"It's a blizzard!" Krory screams.

Lavi looks up at the sky and cringes as heavy, white snow whips up around them. It crashes into the four exorcists and in seconds the area is coated in white.

"Grow!" Lavi yells. His hammer doubles in size and he sets it on the ground, temporary blocking the wind's vicious onslaught. He can barely see a foot in front of him.

"Count off!" Lavi yells.

"It's so pretty!" Krory yells to his right.

"Usagi is gonna die!" Robin yells, laughing under him.

"Allen?" Lavi asks, searching for the white headed boy. There's a sniffle and Allen crawls over to them, grabbing hold of the red head's jacket.

"Could it get any worse?" Lavi asks.

Suddenly Allen gasps and his left eye comes to life.

"Of course." Lavi groans. Two dozen dark shapes rip through the ground beneath them and move to surround them. Lavi spots several level twos and two level threes. The akuma laugh at him and Lavi grimaces. There's no way he can fight them all and protect the others by himself. Plus, the sudden blizzard isn't helping.

"Die exorcists!" A level three yells, lunging at him. Lavi shuts his eye, expecting the worst, when there's a loud explosion. The red head opens his eye and smiles huge at the white cloak in front of him, whipping around in the snowstorm.

"Oh thank you Allen!" Lavi yells, squeezing the other exorcist to death.

"What on earth happened?!" Allen yells.

"I'll tell you later!" Lavi yells. He motions to the horde of akuma and Allen nods.

"Right." Allen says. He lunges at the akuma, slicing them apart with his clawed hand. Lavi grips the handle to his hammer.

"Allen!" Lavi yells. "Can you keep Krory and Robin from getting whisked away?"

"Crown Belt!" Allen yells. The white ribbons of energy wrap around the other exorcist's forms and Allen shields them with his cloak from an incoming akuma attack.

"It's Frosty the Snowman!" Krory cheers, excited.

"_Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul,  
With a corn cob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made of coal.  
Frosty the Snowman, is a fairytale, they say.  
He was made of snow, but the children know how he came to life one day."_

Allen sweat drops. What the-?! There's a groan. He looks down at Robin and Allen spots a twinge of familiarity from her eyes.

"Robin?" He asks.

"Hey," She says. "You're..."

"Did you finally come to your senses?" He asks.

"I know you!" She says.

"Yeah," Allen says with a smile. "I'm your friend, All-"

"It's the snowflake princess!" Robin yells.

His jaw drops. She bursts into laughter and he twitches. His face whole face flushes red and he attempts to glare at her, but it only makes her laugh harder. Next to them, Lavi grabs his hammer and a circle of elemental seals spin around his head. The circle stops and he smacks his hammer to a seal.

"Wood Stamp!" Lavi yells. "Spinning Dist of Heaven and Earth!" A huge circle of energy shoots up into the sky and the snowstorm ceases, the sky becoming clear and blue.

"Alright!" Lavi yells. "Time to kick some akuma butt!" He swings his hammer up and the swarm of akuma suddenly retreat. Allen yells and tries to chase after them, but they're gone.

"Poor exorcists." A voice says from behind them. Allen and Lavi freeze. There's a giggle and arms wrap themselves around Allen. He twists to look behind him and a girl with purple-blue hair spiked up in a punk style and dark eyes smiles at him.

"You shouldn't be so friendly with him, Road." Another figure says from behind Lavi. A tall man with wavy, dark hair and a mole under his eye readjusts his top hat and sighs.

"No fair, Tyki!" Road says. She pouts, but lets go of Allen.

"Noah!" Lavi growls.

"Why are you here?!" Allen yells.

Road gives the white haired boy a sweet smile and points to the exorcist next to him.

"I'll make it simple." She says. "Give me Robin or die."

* * *

**Cliffhanger, yay! I was feeling strangely Christmas-y. By the way, can anyone guess the reference? (Think cactus juice and hallucinations)  
**

**I hope you like the story and please leave a review! Thank you for the support! I hope you'll continue reading! :D**


	28. Chapter 28

**Warnings: lots of angst, mentions of cutting, child abuse, and implied rape. (Nothing is graphic or above T rating!)**

**Yeah...I bet at least some people are reading the list above and thinking: "Oh no, what's happening now?" I have a feeling most readers will probably want to kill me after this chapter. Oh well, we all have to die at some point. :D Just know I have an evil (slightly sadistic) scheme. **

**Thank you for reading this story and if you deem it worthy, please leave a review! **

* * *

"Give me Robin or die."

Allen moves to stand in front of Robin, blocking her from the Noah's line of sight.

"What do want with Robin?" Allen yells.

"Her ability is a nuisance." Road answers. "So the Millennium Earl wants us to get rid of it."

"Her?" Allen asks, confused. Road raises an eyebrow, looking between the two of them with interest.

"Robin's a girl." Road says. "Didn't you know that?"

Allen spins around and stares at her as Robin forces herself to her feet. She wipes away the tears that spilled from her eyes due to all the laughter and raises an eyebrow.

"What the hell happened?" She asks. She glances around and flinches when she sees Road and Tyki. Her wings spring from her back and she moves to Allen's side.

"Who are these guys?!" She yells. Road giggles.

"She's recovered her senses." She says. "Good. Now we can play."

A huge, black and red checkered door appears in front of them. Before either of them can act, her and Allen are sucked through the doorway.

"Allen! Robin!" Lavi yells.

Road smirks and turns to Tyki. He sighs and walks around Lavi, heading toward the door. He steps through and Road smiles at Lavi.

"Wait!" Lavi yells, taking a step toward her. She snaps her fingers and the horde of akuma reappears. Lavi cringes and she giggles again.

"I'll let you guys play together for a while." She says. "Bye-bye, Bookman." She offers the red head a wave. She walks through the door and it closes, disappearing into thin air.

Allen and Robin fall into new room. Underneath Robin there's a low groan and she looks down, blushing when she realizes she landed on top of Allen.

"Sorry!" She says, getting off and helping him to his feet.

"No problem." He says. While he dusts himself off, Robin glances around at their new surroundings.

"So where are we?" She asks. They appear to be in some sort of little kid's room. There are different toys and presents around them. Strange, colorful candles light the room. Robin stares at the candles' pointy ends and subconsciously wonders how much it would hurt if they were to suddenly fall on the two of them.

"This looks like Road's room." Allen answers. "I've been here before with Lenalee and Miranda." Robin nods. So then that girl's name is Road.

"Is there a way out?" She asks. Allen shakes his head. "Damn."

"Um, Robin?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

Allen's face flushes. "You're a girl?" She flinches. _Crap. _

"Um," She says. "Biologically speaking, yeah."

"Why were you hiding it?" He asks. Robin chuckles nervously.

"I'm not really sure anymore." She says. "It's just something I've always done. I'm sorry."

"So then Kanda knows?" He asks. Robin nods.

"And Lavi." She says. "And Master Cross. Actually, I'm pretty sure Lenalee knows too." Allen frowns and slumps forward.

"Are you telling me I'm probably the only one who didn't know?"

"Komui and everyone else don't know." She says. "Besides, look on the bright side, aren't you happy to know you really are straight?"

Allen sweat drops. He suddenly hears footsteps and snaps his attention toward Road's door. Tyki steps out of the doorway and frowns slightly as he glances around the room.

"So you brought them here?" Tyki asks.

"Yup." Road says, following him. She smiles and the door disappears behind her.

"Road Kamelot and Tyki Mykk." Allen says. Tyki sighs.

"I understand bringing the girl here, but why did you drag the boy along?" He asks.

"I wanted to play with him again!" Road says, cheerfully tackling Allen. "Allen's so much fun!"

Robin sweat drops. "You like Allen?" She asks Road.

"What's it to you?" She responds. Road's eyes suddenly narrow. "You're not his girlfriend, are you?" Robin shudders.

"Nope!" She says. "Not at all! Have at him!"

Road smiles. "Good." She says, giggling, and hugging Allen tighter

"You didn't have to deny it so quickly." He mutters and Robin rolls her eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Robin says, turning to Tyki. "But aren't we enemies? I thought we would be fighting."

Tyki lights a cigarette and brings it to his mouth. A puff of smoke wafts from his lips and he smirks. A purple butterfly materializes from the palm of his hand and it flutters around him, eventually resting on his top hat.

"Sorry about that." He says. "Well, Road? Shall we begin?" A swarm of butterflies wraps itself around Robin, blocking her line of sight.

"I'm going to enjoy clipping those wings of yours." He says, a huge smile reaching across his face. Robin bats at the purple insects around her, but it does little to stop them from landing. She feels a sharp pain and squeaks, trying to throw them off. Suddenly she's surrounded by a white cloak. The white fabric sharpens and cuts the butterflies in two.

"You okay Robin?" Allen asks from in front of her. She cradles her arm with a bite mark embedded on her skin. She groans and the skin hisses, healing the wound in a matter of seconds.

"They eat flesh." Allen explains. "Be careful."

"That's so creepy." She says, grimacing. Allen gives her a warm smile.

"Yeah," He says. "Don't worry. I won't let them get to you."

Tyki chuckles and the two exorcists turn their attention to the Noah.

"So you're going to interfere, boy?" He asks.

"I won't let you hurt Robin!" Allen yells. He charges at the Noah, slashing at him with his clawed hand. Tyki blocks using two of the larger butterflies to form two huge shields on either hand. Robin spreads her wings, ready to assist Allen when a hand stops her.

"Let's just have you and me play." Road says, stepping in front of her. She pouts and points a finger toward Robin. "I don't care who you are. No one steals my Allen!"

Robin sweat drops.

"Really," Robin says, holding her hands up in front of her. "I'm not after Allen. I already have a boyfriend."

"Really?" Road asks.

"Yeah," She says. "He's waiting for me to return right as we speak. So, I'm sorry, but I'm not dying today."

Road smirks. "We'll see about that."

A dark, purple-like aura oozes from around the Noah. Robin squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself as the darkness embraces her.

"Dammit!" Allen yells. "Robin!"

Road suddenly flinches. Tyki raises an eyebrow at her strange reaction.

"What's up, Road?" He asks her.

Road slowly grins. "There's two."

"Two?" Allen asks. Road giggles and pokes Robin's zombified body.

"This will be fun."

* * *

For a second everything is black. Robin reaches out, hoping to latch onto something, anything, but there's nothing. Suddenly she feels a hand on her shoulder. Robin jumps and raises a fist, hoping to land a hit.

"OW!" A voice yells. Robin stares up and blinks when she sees Raven glaring at her.

"Idiot!" Raven yells, whacking her over the head. "That freaking hurt!"

"Raven!" Robin yells. Raven huffs and rubs the side of her face.

"Where are we?" She asks, glancing around. The ground beneath them is checkered in violet and red and continues out seemingly forever. In some spots the floor is twisted, distorted at haphazard angles that shouldn't be physically possible. To Robin it looks like some kind of illusion, but if it truly is then why is Raven with her?

"It's your subconsciousness." Raven answers. Her violet eyes narrow. "But it's been corrupted."

Robin sweat drops. "I realize I've gotten darker since dating Kanda, but that seems like a pretty sad excuse to say he's corrupting me." Raven rolls her eyes.

"First, I stand by Lavi. Ponytail is so corrupting you. And Second, that doesn't matter because this isn't because of him. Someone else is here and they're the one twisting the space."

A giggle echos over their heads and they stand up, preparing themselves for a fight. The floor in front of them cracks open and a familiar looking girl rises up from part of the checkered pattern.

"Road." Robin says, glaring at the Noah. Road grins.

"So there are two of you." She says. "I've never destroyed two people at once."

"Try it." Raven says. "Get out of the floor and fight."

"Oh, I'm not fighting." Road answers, inspecting the two of them. "But since you're so eager, you can go first." Robin sees the movement behind them and spins around, ready to block when she stops dead. Robin's eyes widen in horror at the figure in front of her.

"Raven?!" She asks, staring at the girl in front of them.

The third girl wears a skirt and tank top, her long black hair and violet eyes mirroring Raven's. Robin gasps when she glances at the numerous red marks and scars crisscrossing along the girl's skin. Mixed into the cuts she sees burns, some faded and some fresh. By the way some of marks have healed, Robin can tell just by looking that none of them had been properly treated or bandaged.

"Bitch." Raven swears, her eyes hard. Road giggles behind her and Raven's face visibly darkens.

"You can see people's memories." Raven says. "You torture them by showing them their worst nightmares."

"Correct." Road answers. "I am the Noah of dreams. I am me, and not me. In this dream world I have complete control. Those who do not know my true form cannot hope to defeat me. So then, Raven, was it? I wonder how long it will take for you to break."

"Shit." Raven says. Suddenly the area around them shifts. Robin squeaks and Road disappears, leaving the two of them and the third girl in a new area. They appear to be standing in the hallway of a house. The walls are painted a cheerful yellow and a few portraits of flowers hang on the walls.

"No." Raven says, her eyes widening.

"Where is this?" Robin asks, confused. She's never seen this place before.

"Home." Raven answers. Robin's eyes widen, suddenly understanding the memory.

There's a high-pitched scream from one of the rooms and her blood turns cold. Raven flinches and brings her hands over her ears, her eyes squeezed shut.

"No!" Raven yells. "Not again! I won't!"

The dimension shifts and Robin finds them in a bedroom. Robin takes one look at the couple in front of them and turns away, vomiting on the floor. Raven lets out an anguished cry and falls to her knees, sobbing. Raven had told her about her parents' death. They were murdered in the middle of the night. Raven walked in, just a child then, and saw them on the floor. Robin knew she could never comprehend the horror Raven's carried since that night. Even now, having seen their bloody, cut open forms for herself, she could barely think. Robin squeezes her eyes shut as tears pour from her eyes. She's never seen so much blood.

The second Raven suddenly chuckles and her features twist into a dark smile.

"So much blood." The girl muses. "Didn't they find the knife in your hands?"

Raven's convulsions stop. Robin looks over at her friend with an expression of concern mixed with horror. The dark haired girl stops in front of the imposter and clocks the second Raven straight across her face.

"Is that the best you can do?" Raven whispers. She gives her a dark laugh. "I live everyday seeing their faces. You can't break me if I'm already broken. If this is how you intend to get to me, then we're going to be at this all day."

"Very well." Road's voice echoes from above them.

Robin flinches and she glances around as the scene shifts again. This time they're outside. The sky is blue with a few clouds being carried by the wind. A carriage door slams shut and Robin frowns when she sees the building in front of them. A sign hangs from the building's entrance that read's "Haven Orphanage" and she snorts. A haven. More like hell on Earth. The scene focuses on the group and Robin spots a little girl with black hair surrounded by uniformed policemen. A pretty flashy entrance, she remembers.

The tallest man grabs little Raven's arm and drags her forward, rougher than he probably should have. They enter and seconds later Raven, Robin, and the other Raven see the inside of the orphanage. A middle aged couple stands in front of the officers, faces painted with fake, cheerful smiles.

"So is this the little girl you mentioned about, Inspector?" The woman asks, looking over little Raven. The inspector nods. The woman frowns and pats Raven's head.

"You poor girl!" She says, staring down at her with pitying eyes. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of this one." Little Raven glares back, letting out a low growl. She hated those eyes. Ever since the funeral she's been bombarded with pity and false sympathy. All everyone says is "Poor you" or "I'm sorry" and it made her sick.

"That's enough Sarah." The man says, addressing his wife. "How about we let Raven play with the other kids?"

He motions to a door leading to the back yard and after a second of consideration, Raven opens it and walks outside. She glances around, noticing a bunch of toys. There's a swing set with monkey bars off to the side. Next to it is a seesaw and a huge sandbox. Little Raven glances around and raises an eyebrow when she notices a group of kids crowded together in a corner of the yard.

One kid looks up and notices her. He's taller than the others with greasy brown hair and a cocky grin. A few bandages are stuck to his face, Raven suspects, as an attempt to make himself look tough. Little Raven stares at them as the group scatters, revealing a small, brown haired girl from the circle's center. She's crying with a few scrapes on her face.

The pack starts moving toward her and Little Raven frowns, realizing she's the next victim. In seconds, she's surrounded and stares up at the group's leader, looking unimpressed.

"Looks like we've got fresh meat." The leader says. He grins. "My name is Henry."

"Raven." Little Raven answers. "Mind leaving me alone? I'm not in the mood."

A few of the others let out scattered whispers of awe. Apparently, not many people talk back to this boy. Henry clicks his tongues and sighs.

"Let me make this straight." Henry says. "While I admire your spirit, if you ever turn against us, I will make sure you end up like that one over there." He points to the sniffling girl they left behind. Raven glances once at her and turns back to Henry.

"Fuck off." She says. Henry scoffs.

"I warned you." He says, raising his fist. Raven suddenly takes a step and kicks the boy straight in the groin. Henry squeaks and falls to the ground in pain. A few of the other kids run up to their leader, yelling out cries of concern. The door leading inside the orphanage slams open and the husband runs out.

"Raven!" He yells. Raven brushes off his rage and instead glances over at the previously crying girl. Her golden eyes flash with amusement and her mouth curls into a small smile. Seeing it, Raven chuckles and allows the arm pulling on her to lead her away.

"I remember that." Robin says. "That was the very first time I saw you. We hadn't met, but I thought you were cool."

Raven nods and gives her a thin smile.

"A best friend." The second Raven murmurs. "After losing your family you came to gain another. Doing everything together. Comforting each other. Protecting each other. How long did you think it would last? A week? A month? A year? Just how long did you spend wondering, waiting for the day it all crumbles apart?"

"Shut up." Robin yells, glaring at the girl. "Raven's my best friend. Nothing could change that."

"Nothing, you say?" The girl giggles evilly. "Even if you knew the truth?"

"No!" Raven yells, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Her reaction only makes the girl laugh harder as the scene again shifts before them. This time Robin and Raven are in their room. Their two younger selves giggle on Raven's bed like only two best friends could. They're older than the previous scene. Possibly, when they were maybe ten or eleven. Young Raven plays a melody on her violin, while young Robin watches starstruck.

Hearing the song, the real Robin smiles. It's a lullaby. It's soft and gentle, and Robin's heart swells at the memory.

"That was the very first song you taught me." Robin says and Raven nods.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door and the two young girls freeze.

"Raven! Robin!" Sarah's voice calls from the hall. "It's dinner time!"

"Sweet!" Raven says, happily replacing the violin in its case. "I'm starving!"

"You're always starving." Robin says. She rolls her eyes, but still smiles at her dark haired friend. Raven smirks back and they run toward the dining hall. Once they enter the room, they're met with the other twenty or so kids living at the orphanage. The couple always insisted they at least eat dinner together. Well, really Sarah was the one who insisted. Her husband, Robin suspected, just went along with it.

The two girls take their seats at the table, when they spot an unfamiliar face. A man in his mid-twenties with messy blonde hair and ice cold blue eyes watch the duo with curiosity. Robin shivers under his stare and Raven glares back, not about to forgive anyone who'd scare her friend.

"Raven, Robin." Sarah says, offering them their plates. "I'd like you to met my son, James."

The blonde stranger gives the two of them a friendly wave and Robin returns a nervous smile.

"He just graduated from college." Sarah explains. "He'll be visiting for a little while so mind your manners."

Robin nods obediently and starts eating, keeping her eyes glued to her plate. Raven continues to glare at James, who grin backs cheerfully.

"I remember that guy too." Robin says, watching the little Raven glare at him. "He always had such a creepy vibe. I never understood why you seemed to hate him so much though."

Raven looks away, silent, and Robin frowns as the memory changes, fast forwarding to later in the night. Young Robin is sound asleep in her bed. Raven lies in the bed on the opposite side of the room, staring straight up at the ceiling. She takes a quick peek at her friend and silently gets up and walks to the door. She heads down the hallway toward the kitchen, hoping for a glass of water, when a figure suddenly blocks her path.

"It's late." A certain blonde man says. Raven's violet eyes narrow and she attempts to move around him, but James steps closer.

"Move it." Raven growls, glaring daggers at him. James merely smiles.

"That's not very nice." He says. "We met at dinner, but let me introduce myself properly. My name is James. It's nice to meet you, miss?"

"Raven." She replies.

"Raven?" James asks. "That's a beautiful name." He grins and Raven frowns.

"I just want a glass of water." Raven says, trying to get around him and failing yet again.

"I'll help you." James says. He steps aside and Raven narrows her eyes before walking past him. She heads into the kitchen and frowns when James follows behind her. They enter the kitchen and Raven moves to grab a glass out of the cupboard. James wanders near the stove and glances curiously up at all the pots and pans hanging from the wall.

"Mother always did enjoy her cooking." James muses.

Raven takes a sip of her water and frowns. She didn't like this guy. He was unnerving and just being in the same room as him irritated her.

"You ought to learn better manners." James says.

"Fuck off." Raven growls back. She replaces her glass in the sink and turns to leave when James grabs hold of her arm. Raven snarls at him, but gasps when he twists it and she lets out a cry of pain.

"So rude." He says, lighting a cigarette. Raven chokes on the smoke and glares back, trying to pull free.

"Let go!" Raven yells. His hand crashes against her jaw and there's a sickening crack. Raven falls back and places a hand to her mouth, shocked to see blood. James merely smirks and lets out another puff of smoke. He places the lit cigarette to her and Raven yells as it burns her skin. She struggles and tries to kick at him, but he holds her down.

"You have such pretty eyes." He says. "Just like your mother." Raven's eyes widen in shock.

"No!" Robin yells at the memory. "NO!"

Little Raven's screams echo in the memory. Robin looks away and hurls again, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No." Robin yells over and over again, refusing to watch. "RAVEN!"

The scene slowly fades around them and Robin falls to her knees. The dream Raven laughs and glances down at the cuts and scars across her body.

"How long did you let him hurt you?" She asks. "How many scars did you amass all those years? And not all from him either." Her fingers brush against one particularly long scar and she smirks. "A shame, isn't it? How you didn't bleed out."

"Raven!" Robin yells. "Tell me it isn't true. Please." Raven looks down, motionless. A tear plummets on the floor beneath her and fresh tears pour out of Robin's eyes. She pulls Raven into an embrace, wrapping her arms around her, refusing to let go.

"Why?" Robin asks. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"He killed my parents." Raven answers. "If I said anything he would have hurt you too. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose you."

"Raven."

Raven opens her mouth to speak when Robin is suddenly pulled out of her grasp.

"Robin!" She yells. Robin slips out of her fingers and she crashes against the hard floor. She groans, cradling her side, when out of nowhere four translucent walls rise up around her. Robin swears and kicks at the walls blocking her off from her friend, but her attempts barely leave a scratch.

"What the hell?!" Raven yells.

"Just getting rid of distractions." Road's voice answers.

"I'm sick of this game!" Raven yells. "Come out and fight me, coward!"

The scene begins to change around them again. Robin is forced to watch from her box as the dream shifts into a dark street. Young Raven is panting, her black feathered wings extending from her back. Charred remains of the previous akuma lie in flames at her feet. Raven turns, starting to head back when she hears footprints from behind.

"Raven?" A voice asks. Raven freezes. She whips around and her eyes widen when she realizes she's face to face with none other than James. His mouth curls into a smirk and he chuckles at her wings.

"An angel?" He asks. "How interesting."

Raven flinches when he steps closer.

"Stay back!" She yells. Suddenly a dark shape appears behind them. Large cannons sprout from the akuma's body and aim on the two figures in front of it. Raven prepares, readying herself to destroy it when she hesitates. The akuma drifts closer to James and he screams. Raven's eyes harden and she steps back, allowing the demon to lock its aim onto the man.

"Raven!" James yells, eyes wide and filled with fear. "Help me! Please!"

"I'll see you in Hell." She answers and turns away, hearing nothing else besides the sound of the akuma's bullets.

"Raven." Robin whispers, watching in horror at the smile painted across the young Raven's face. She shakes her head, refusing to believe it. Raven wasn't like that. She wasn't.

"You enjoyed it, didn't you?" The dream Raven says through her laughter. "You enjoyed watching him suffer. Admit it Raven! You loved every second of it!"

Raven turns away, her face hidden from sight.

"Oh, how you fell." Road giggles cheerfully.

Robin gasps.

"_Fallen Ones are humans whose bodies and minds have been taken over by their Innocence. They're made through one of two ways; either an Accommodator forces a synchronization with a shard of Innocence and fails, or a current exorcist betrays the will of God."_

A single note reverberates around them. Robin freezes and listens as a lullaby comes to life. New tears pour out of Robin's eyes and she attacks the walls around her, kicking and punching with all her strength. This it the first song Raven played. The first song Robin ever learned. And the last song they ever heard together.

"RAVEN!" Robin screams.

She watches in horror as the memory of that night comes to life. Raven's body writhes in pain on the bed across from her. Now Robin knows what happened. She's a Fallen One. She betrayed God and the Innocence and now it was punishing her. Robin scratches at the walls, throwing her whole body forward, but the walls refuse to budge. Robin screams, yelling at them. Cursing Road, cursing God, cursing all who let the life of the Raven before her slowly fade away.

Robin shakes her head, lost in the dream, lost in the memory. She starts to feel her mind slip and for once she welcomes it. All she wants to do is make it stop. Make all the pain and suffering fade away. Robin's eyes begin to flicker closed as she feels a darkness wash over, making everything disappear.

"_**Robin."**_

Her heart stops.

"_**Live."**_

Air bursts into a her lungs and Robin's eyes snap open. She feels a pair of arms wrap themselves around her.

"Robin!" Allen yells. "Are you okay?!" There's a heavy pang in her chest and Robin's eyes fill with tears. She collapses to her knees, letting out a pained cry.

"She's gone." Robin whispers. "Raven's gone."


End file.
